Truly Yours Historical Collection December 2014 Read online

  Copyright

  ISBN 1-59789-058-8

  Copyright © 2006 by Susan Page Davis. All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the permission of Truly Yours, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., PO Box 721, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683.

  All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.

  Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

  One

  May, 1848

  Harry had never seen such fine country for horses. He had to admit, this Shenandoah Valley rivaled the rolling hills in Kentucky where he planned to set up his breeding farm. The meadows burst with a green opulence in the May sun. The grass grew so lush he was tempted to get down and roll in it and to take Pepper’s saddle off and let him roll in it, too.

  They trotted along a fencerow, and a half-dozen mares tore across the pasture toward them. They kept pace with Pepper as they strode along inside the rail fence, snorting and nickering, trying to capture Pepper’s attention. The gelding snuffled and tossed his head but kept on steadily under Harry’s firm hand. Every mare had a long-legged foal at her side, he noted. It would have been hard to choose among them for the best.

  On Harry’s left, a hardwood forest fringed the road. The oaks and hickories, in their full, glorious foliage, would offer some shade on that side of the lane in the morning; but now it was late afternoon, and the warmth of the golden rays striking him from the west, beyond the meadows and more rolling hills, was not unpleasant.

  He heard muffled hoofbeats and turned toward the woods. Two horses charged neck-and-neck from a shady path and bolted into the lane in front of him. Pepper reared with an alarmed squeal as a bay mare rushed toward him. Harry’s instantaneous impression of the rider was a young woman gone wild. Her features were lovely, lit with the joy of speed. As he jerked Pepper’s reins she caught sight of him, and shock darkened her eyes as she realized the inevitability of the coming collision.

  “Whoa!” She pulled back with all her strength, gritting her teeth in determination. Harry pivoted Pepper on his hind legs, attempting to lessen the impact.

  He had no time to do more. In a split second her mare slammed against Pepper’s hindquarters, sending the gelding in an awkward leap toward the pasture fence. Harry watched in dismay while trying to keep his balance. As she flew from the saddle, the girl’s commodious burgundy skirts billowed with air, like the sails of the schooner Harry had called his home for the last three years. As she tumbled to earth, he had a glimpse of lace-trimmed linen and high black boots. Her bay mare veered to the left with an offended snort and skittered up the lane.

  “Miss Sadie!” Beyond the fallen girl, a thin Negro boy was pulling up his own mount, a red roan, and staring with horror at the girl. At least he’d been riding on her other side and had avoided becoming part of the melee. Pepper lurched and snorted, but Harry held his head down, and the gelding halted, calming under the soft words Harry spoke in his ear.

  He and the boy leaped to the ground at the same moment, and they knelt, one on either side of the girl. She lay on her back, staring up at them, breathing in quick, shallow gasps. Her blue eyes sought Harry’s face in confusion. Her auburn hair was no doubt confined in a sedate knot at ordinary times, but now a long braid trailed in the dirt by her shoulder, and fine wisps fanned out around her face.

  “Miss Sadie, you done what your papa said and broke your neck!” Tears streamed down the boy’s face as he leaned within inches of her nose. “Tell me you ain’t broke your neck, Miss Sadie!”

  “Hush, Pax!” The girl hauled in a longer, slower breath and exhaled carefully. “I think I’ll live, if you’ll give me some air.”

  “Take it easy,” Harry said. “Get your breath back.”

  “The horses.” She struggled to sit up, swiveling to look. The bay mare had disappeared around a bend in the lane, and Pax’s roan was snatching mouthfuls of grass at the edge of the road. The girl moaned and lay back gasping, putting one hand up to her head. “Get Lily.”

  “You sure you all right?” the boy asked uneasily.

  “I’ll be fine. Just get that horse!” She took several more shallow gulps and gasped, “If she gets back home without me, Papa will never let me ride again!”

  The boy jumped up and ran to his mount. He scooped up the trailing reins and hopped into the saddle then tore off in the direction the bay had taken.

  Harry watched the girl, waiting patiently for her to recover. She was older than he’d first thought—a young lady, of that he was certain from her clothing and her manner with the Negro boy. Probably the daughter of a planter. Her disinclination to swoon or cry assured him she had taken tumbles before and was not seriously injured. He was sure her corset was obstructing her breathing. Not much he could do about that.

  She lay quiet for nearly a minute, her head turned away from him, gradually gaining control of her breath. At last she turned slowly toward him.

  “May I help you up, ma’am?”

  He read speculation, embarrassment, and something more in her blue eyes before the lids flickered down to conceal them.

  “I don’t believe I’ve ever laid eyes on you before in my life, sir.”

  Harry laughed. “I beg your pardon, miss. I should have introduced myself. My name is Harry Cooper.”

  “Cooper?” She sat up with a little moan, and Harry touched her shoulder gently.

  “Are you certain you’re not hurt?”

  She rubbed her elbow then flexed her arm, frowning at the cuff of her dress where a button had been scraped off. “I’ll be fine, thank you.” She glanced up at him, wincing. “I’ve made rather a spectacle of myself, haven’t I? I apologize, sir.”

  “No need, although spirited horses and daredevil riders can be a volatile combination.”

  She blinked once then smiled. “Indeed. It was a race.”

  “A very close one, I’d say.”

  “I’d have won if you hadn’t been in the way.”

  Harry couldn’t help smiling. “Are you sure? Those horses were pretty evenly matched.”

  Her cheeks colored slightly, and she looked away, but the smile didn’t leave her lips. “Here comes Pax.”

  Harry bit back his disappointment at seeing the boy returning on his roan, leading the young woman’s mare. She gathered herself to rise, and he slipped his hand under her uninjured elbow to give her a hint of leverage.

  “I thank you for your concern,” she said, facing him as she brushed a fine cloud of powdery dirt from her skirt. “Your horse wasn’t injured, was he?”

  “No, he’s fine, ma’am. Allow me to see you home.” His quick offer surprised him a little. He wasn’t used to playing the gallant gentleman, but something about this untamed beauty drew him like north drew the needle on the captain’s compass.

  “No need, I assure you.” Her breath came easier now but was still a bit choppy.

  Harry looked the two mares over. Their conformation was nearly perfect, and both were walking sedately now, scarcely breathing hard.

  The boy rode up close to where Harry and the young woman stood and halted, swinging down to the ground. “Lemme help you up, Miss Sadie.”


  Harry sensed the boy’s mistrust directed at him, but he was no doubt the guardian for this lovely young woman and was privileged to ride his master’s best mounts when the daughter of the house went out for exercise.

  “The horses seem none the worse for the accident,” Harry said.

  “Yes. I thank you for your help.” She stepped toward the bay, where Pax stood waiting to aid her. Harry knew he could easily pick her up in his arms and place her in the saddle.

  Better belay that idea, he told himself. He was certain Miss Sadie and the fiercely scowling Pax would never allow it. She was about to leave him, a cheerless thought that set Harry to wondering how he could draw out the encounter without offending her. But she was astride now, settling her voluminous skirt around her with a couple of gentle strokes and gathering her reins.

  She’s left her hoops home, Harry thought with a wry smile. She must be near twenty, but she has a child’s unconscious freedom. Her energy and boldness, coupled with a resolve to act the proper lady under the gaze of a stranger, made him envy Pax. I wouldn’t mind riding beside her day after day.

  “Good day then, sir.” She turned and headed away, down the lane, and the boy scrambled aboard his mare.

  “Wait!” Harry called. Pax looked back uncertainly, but the young woman kept her mare at a steady walk away from him.

  “I’m looking for the Spinning Wheel Farm, owned by Mr. Oliver McEwan,” Harry said to the boy.

  Pax grinned. “This be your lucky day, suh. You done found it.”

  Harry was startled at how quickly the boy’s animosity turned to welcome. “You mean this is McEwan land?”

  The boy gestured to the fields on the other side of the lane. “Everythin’ you see, suh.”

  “And the house?”

  “Yonder.” He nodded after the girl’s retreating figure.

  “Thank you.” Harry stroked Pepper’s neck and watched them ride out of sight before he mounted. He let Pepper amble along in the golden light of sunset. Beautiful country, absolutely gorgeous. There couldn’t be two farms with such superb animals in the area. Did he dare hope he would once more meet the lovely young Sadie, who strove with marginal success to cloak her effervescence in propriety? He smiled to himself, remembering the quality of the horses Sadie and her faithful companion rode. Yes, he dared hope

  Two

  Sadie donned a huge apron and tied the strings behind her. She loved the kitchen, with the savory smell of roasting poultry and the warmth of the cookstove. When she wasn’t out feeding the chickens or in the barn coddling the horses, she spent many contented hours here with Tallie, the family’s cook and housekeeper.

  Tallie threw her an ominous frown. “You just get into the parlor and help your father entertain the gentleman.”

  “Don’t fuss at me,” Sadie said. “I always help you with supper. Papa’s perfectly capable of keeping up a conversation with a customer.”

  “Hmm.” Tallie plucked her green-handled masher from a nail on the wall over her worktable and plunged it into a pan of boiled potatoes. As she worked with strong, methodical strokes, she scowled at Sadie. “It’s dinner tonight, served in the dinin’ room, and I can fix it. Now that you’re all cleaned up and lookin’ respectable, you belong in there with the company.”

  “He’ll see me soon enough.” Sadie began arranging Tallie’s golden biscuits on an ironstone platter.

  “Pax said that gentleman was taken with you, though I don’t know why, with you dashin’ ’round the country like a hoyden.” Tallie turned her brown eyes heavenward in despair. “I don’t know how to keep you from shamin’ this family, Miss Sadie.”

  “Now, you hush. Don’t you dare tell Papa I fell off Lily this afternoon.”

  “It’s a wonder you didn’t meet your end.” Tallie sighed, reaching for the butter. “And that dress you wore is near done for, I’ll tell you!”

  Sadie lifted the platter of biscuits and turned sideways, allowing her full hoopskirt to slide through the doorway to the dining room. She placed the platter on the table and tiptoed to the door on the far side of the room. When she held her breath, she could hear her father’s warm voice coming from the parlor.

  “You want six mares, Mr. Cooper? I’ll have to think on that. Don’t want to deplete my own herd too much. I can let you have four with no problem.”

  “Four will be a good start,” Cooper said.

  Her father went on. “If it’s breeding stock you want, the sorrel is a good choice. She’s dropped two good foals. And any of the others I showed you. Of course, I don’t like to let my mares go until their foals are weaned.”

  Good! Sadie thought. He’s going to buy, and we’ll have some money at last. Her father had been short on cash this spring.

  “Well, sir, I can come back in the fall if you’d like,” Harry Cooper was saying. “I’ve picked out my property in Kentucky, but I haven’t started building yet. I’ve got my summer’s work cut out for me.”

  “It’s a long ride,” Oliver McEwan said.

  “Not too far, sir, and I’d like to see this valley in the fall.”

  At that moment Tallie entered from the kitchen, holding a big porcelain tureen full of potatoes. “What you doin’?” she hissed, and Sadie straightened and pulled away from the doorway.

  “Mr. Cooper’s going to buy some horses from Papa,” Sadie whispered.

  Tallie smiled with satisfaction. “Isn’t that fine? Now you get in there. Everythin’s ready, and I don’t want your papa waitin’ on you until the biscuits get cold.”

  Sadie started to protest, but Tallie put her hands on her ample hips. “Git, git, git!”

  Sadie could see she would have to do as she was told, and she reached behind her to untie her apron.

  Tallie’s eyes lit with admiration. “You gonna break that poor man’s heart, sugar. That dress makes you look like a princess.”

  Sadie looked down at the rose silk gown. She didn’t have many occasions to dress up anymore. Her father hadn’t entertained much since her mother’s death four years ago. Occasionally a neighbor would invite them to dinner. She hoped suddenly that her dress was still fashionable and that she would compare favorably to the other ladies Harry Cooper had seen in his travels. Her meeting with him had been so brief that she wasn’t certain whether he was a courteous gentleman or a presumptuous bounder. She hoped her father liked him. That would tell her a lot.

  She stepped toward Tallie and planted a kiss soundly on her plump, dark cheek. Then she took a deep breath and headed for the parlor.

  Her father was standing near the fireplace with Harry, holding the small daguerreotype of Sadie’s brother, Tenley. Sadie paused in the doorway. How well she knew that picture! Tenley stood stiff and proud in his dark forage cap and the white cotton uniform of the Second Dragoons. His eagerness and optimism glowed in his eyes.

  “The boy’s been gone a long time,” her father was saying. “He wanted to go with General Taylor and whip those Mexicans. But it’s been almost a year since we’ve heard from him.”

  “He’s a fine lad,” Harry said. “I’m sure you’ll hear something soon.”

  “I hope so. We pray for him constantly. My solace is knowing he’s in God’s hands.”

  Harry nodded. “If your son is trusting the Lord, you know he’ll be all right, sir, no matter what happens. But our troops took the capital last fall. I expect he’s on his way home now.”

  “Maybe.” Her father placed the frame back on the mantel-piece, and Sadie stepped forward. Her skirt rustled, and her father turned toward her. “Ah, here she is at last. Mr. Cooper, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Sadie.”

  She half expected the guest to laugh and accuse her of masquerading as a lady or at least to announce that they had met before, but Harry’s expression turned serious as he took her hand and bowed over it.

  “Miss McEwan,” he murmured. “This is a pleasure.”

  A thrill of anticipation tickled Sadie’s spine. Her dread had been for nothing. This
dinner could turn out to be pleasant indeed, if Harry Cooper decided to make it so.

  “Sadie, our guest is buying some mares from us. He’ll come back for them in September.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’m sure you’ll be pleased with them.” She didn’t quite dare look at Harry again. She was grateful that he apparently hadn’t spilled the tale of her breakneck ride to her father. For a fleeting instant she thought, Maybe he doesn’t recognize me! I must have looked like an ill-bred roughneck when I crashed into him.

  But a quick glance at him from beneath her eyelashes disabused her of that notion. A secret laugh danced in Harry’s rich brown eyes.

  “Come then,” her father said, offering Sadie his arm. “I’m sure Tallie is beside herself, wondering how to keep the food warm.”

  During the meal Tallie and her husband, Zeke, served them with flawless precision. Harry Cooper was polite and carried on an animated conversation about horses, farm land, and politics, though he claimed to know nothing about the latter topic, having spent the last three years at sea.

  “At sea?” his host asked. “Where did you sail to?”

  Harry sat back with a little sigh and let Zeke take away his dishes from the main course. “The Caribbean mostly, sir. We made several runs to the islands—Tortola, Antigua, Trinidad. . . .”

  “Trinidad,” Sadie whispered, rolling the sound off her tongue.

  Harry smiled at her. “We put in at Caracas twice. Went out to the Spice Islands one time. It’s beautiful, but it’s not home.”

  Her father nodded. “So you’ve had enough of the sea?”

  “Yes, sir. The captain of the vessel I shipped on decided to do a transatlantic voyage, and I knew I didn’t want to go along.”

  “Rum?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Tallie came from the kitchen at that moment, carrying a huge, white-frosted layer cake, and Zeke followed, bearing two golden fruit pies, still warm from the oven.

  “Oh, my.” Harry retrieved his napkin from the tablecloth and spread it in his lap again.

  “We’re blessed with a wonderful cook,” her father said.