Page 3 of The Rancher's Wedding

She backed away from him, frightened. It was as though he was a monster from her childhood, hidden in the shadows of her bedroom, who had suddenly returned to her as an adult. She had dismissed what she had seen with her own two eyes as the delusions of a child, but now realized she should have trusted her instinct all along.

“She’s quite shy,” her father said, “but once she becomes accustomed to you, I’m sure that will go away.”

Her father turned toward her. “This is Ethan Fitzgerald, darling. He’s been my protégé for some time now. He’s an upstanding young gentleman, if I may say so myself.”

Estelle had no response to that. Her tongue remained frozen in her mouth, unable to make any sounds—certainly none that were appropriate, given the setting. Thoughts raced through her head as her heartbeat quickened and she felt dizzy as though she were about to faint.

“I think I need to sit down,” she said.

“Perhaps you’re just hungry,” Ethan said. “I understand that you have a wonderful dinner planned for us tonight?”

Estelle’s father nodded. “Yes, we do. May I take your coat?”

“Please.”

He took them into the kitchen, where Estelle sat down next to her father at the far end of the table and across from Ethan.

“You know, Father,” Estelle said, “I don’t have much of an appetite this evening. May I be excused?”

“What’s come over you, Estelle?” her father asked.

“Perhaps it’s the heat?” Ethan suggested.

“Yes,” Estelle said, “that must be it. The heat. I think it’s best if I lie down.”

Her father flashed her a disapproving look.

“We can discuss business, Mr. Williams, it’s fine,” Ethan said.

Her father considered the idea, but clearly did not want to make a scene in front of the guest. “Go along, then,” he said.

Estelle got up from the table and, as quickly as she could, left the room and ascended the staircase to her room. She laid down on her bed and took as deep a breath as her corset would allow, then bit her lip to keep herself from crying.

By the time her father came to check on her, she had already fallen asleep.

***

The following day was sunny and bright, with temperate weather that would have been a tragedy to waste. Estelle went next door to ask Megan, still her friend after all these years, if she’d like to join her on a picnic at the park.

Upon arriving there, the two of them spread out on a blanket just as the sun hid behind a cloud, diffusing the light across the sky and softening their features.

They began with pleasantries, but Estelle quickly moved into telling her friend about Ethan.

“You’ll never believe who my father brought home last night,” Estelle said, trying to phrase it as a happy thought and not something that had been burrowing in her mind since the day before.

“Who?”

“Do you remember the funny man we met as a child? In my house? The one my father said would be my husband?”

Megan looked at Estelle as though she was speaking another language. “I don’t, no.”

“You’d think you’d remember something like that.”

Megan shrugged. “I’m sorry, Estelle, I don’t.”

Estelle hoped she might be able to trigger Megan’s memory. “We couldn’t have been much older than 11 or so. We were playing hide and seek in the house and there was a blond man and I told you he was going to be my husband.”

“Is he handsome?”

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