Page 68 of Beyond Montana's Sky
“Very well.” Her mother-in-law turned and, if a middle-aged woman could be said toflounce, left the room.
Alone, Edith allowed her smile to widen.How wonderful to feel free to speak my mind!But…she sighed as deeply as her corset would allow.How I wish I wasn’t living in this house.
Leaning closer to the flowers, she studied each of the five remaining bouquets from her suitors, reading the calling cards placed on the table in front of the vases. Two of the men she didn’t remember meeting. Two more were totally unappealing. She frowned, remembering all the times Michael Lloyd’s gaze dropped to her bosom.Definitely not!
She wondered which suitor’s flowers ended up in the trash.Goodness, how awkward if in the next few days I encounter someone who’ll expect me to comment on his gift.She hoped the housekeeping staff claimed the bouquets for themselves so the flowers weren’t wasted.
Edith detached a pink rose from one arrangement and brought the bud to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent and enjoying the luxury of flowers in the winter—gifts taken for granted in her past Boston life.
How nice to be receiving flowers again.
Her thoughts flew to Cai Driscoll and a prickly pear blossom—as different from these bouquets as a Boston socialite was from a Montana rancher. Still, the dried-out, yellowish flower resided in a small box tucked into her trunk. Scanning the bouquets, Edith knew in her heart she wouldn’t be preserving any of these blooms—no matter how beautiful or fragrant. She tucked the rose back into the vase.
Hearing a noise that sounded like a sob, Edith whirled to face the doorway.
Mildred walked into the drawing room, clutching a handkerchief. Her eyes were red and teary. This time, her steps were heavy, and her shoulders bowed.
A wave of compassion made Edith’s earlier annoyance with her mother-in-law vanish.
With a shaky hand, Mildred dabbed her eyes. “I must apologize, Edith. I was…unkind.”
“Oh, no, no. Not unkind.” Edith reached for Mildred’s hand and squeezed. “A bit dictatorial,” she gently teased, hoping to stop the flow of tears.
Mildred managed a wobbly smile, but another sob followed. She covered her mouth with her handkerchief.
“Come, let’s sit.” Edith led her to the sofa. She took a seat and angled her body in Mildred’s direction. “Tell me what has you so distraught. You and I have brangled before. Surely, our doing so again didn’t bring on this—” She touched the damp handkerchief.
“The idea of you marrying another man makes me ache in here.” Mildred rubbed her chest. “It’s wicked for me to hold you back from having the love and comfort of a husband, and so Henry told me—scolded me—when we discussed the matter.”
“Now, I know Papadidn’t call you wicked.” Edith patted Mildred’s plump hand. “I think such sentiments are to be expected.”
Mildred’s eyes widened. “You do?”
“I, too, grappled with the idea of marrying again. When I first moved to Sweetwater Springs, I was….” She sighed. “Looking back, I was numb. No,frozen. My grief for Nathaniel was frozen. I thought another husband would make me feel better. Thank the Good Lord I didn’t marry then. What a disaster I would have made of my life. Of Ben’s life.”
Instead of the condemnation Edith expected, she saw only sympathy in her mother-in-law’s eyes.
“Little by little—” Edith took a breath and then went on “—the grief thawed, and I healed. Sometimes, I’m still sad, and I miss Nathaniel dearly. I willalwayslove him,” she said fiercely. “No second husband, no matter how dear, will take that emotion away. I’ll just be twice blessed.”
“Thank you for understanding,” Mildred whispered.
“What I’ll bring to a second marriage is a differentme. My experiences, my…my ability to appreciate life and love instead of taking so much for granted.” She thought of Cai and what could have been. Tears threatened.
Mildred tilted her head. “Was there a special man in Sweetwater Springs?”
Edith swiped away the moisture on her cheeks. “No, of course not.”
Mildred narrowed her eyes in themother glare—the one that saystell me the truth.
“Well…a few weeks before we departed, I met a rancher. He….”How can I even describe Cai?“He’s a rogue—in a good way.” She smiled, remembering. “Handsome. Irreverent. Funny.Soannoying. He made me feel alive.” Her smile fell away. “His younger sister, with whom he was very close, died last year. He took care of her like a father. We’ve both experienced grief. So even in our short time, we helped each other heal a bit.”
Tears rolled down Mildred’s cheeks. “You gave him up to move here, didn’t you?”
Edith shrugged. “I don’t know, Mama. Can you imagine me living on a ranch?”
Mildred chuckled. “That, I would love to see.” She stopped, her eyes widening. “I haven’t laughed since George’s accident.”
Touched, Edith leaned forward to kiss her mother-in-law’s cheek. “Laughter’s a sign that you will continue living.” She sighed. “You know how mourning goes. In five minutes, you’ll probably be crying again.”
