Page 72 of Wagon Train Redemption
Ruby hurried to the kitchen. Angela followed more slowly.
Ma looked at her. Her eyes narrowed. “It would seem that letter upset you. Care to say why?”
“Not yet.” Angela shook her head. “I have some decisions to make.”
“Remember you are not alone.” Ma wrapped an arm across Angela’s shoulders.
Partners. That’s what Carson had wanted. And yet she felt entirely alone.
The food on her plate was tasteless, but she choked it down rather than worry Ma. She’d helped clean the kitchen when Carson strode into the house.
“Ma, I’m taking Angie for a drive.”
Angela’s hands froze halfway to the crate of dishes she planned to unpack.
“Good idea. The two of you go talk things through.” Ma shooed Angela toward the door.
With feet dragging and heart sinking, Angela followed Carson outside. The buggy stood before them. Were they to go to the homestead again? Would she say goodbye to her hopes and dreams there?
Boss jumped in and pushed against her knees, perhaps sensing her unhappiness.
The three of them rode down the street, but rather than turn in the direction they had gone yesterday, they went down a tree-lined path toward the river. He parked the buggy and helped her down. They walked along the bank. The rumblingwaters carried a warning to her. She tried to ignore it but couldn’t close her ears to the sound.
“Let’s sit here.” Carson pointed to a grassy spot shaded by spreading willows.
She folded her knees and lowered herself to the ground beside him.
Awkward silence hung in the air.
“Are you going to tell me why that letter upset you so much?”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“I saw that you inherited some money. Does that mean you are no longer interested in being my partner?” The words grated from his throat.
“No, of course not.” The last thing she wanted was for him to believe this was about him.
“Then what? I need to understand.”
“If I tell you, you’ll not want me as a partner and certainly not as a wife.” Each word burned her tongue.
“That’s not possible.”
A nice sentiment with no basis. “My father left money for me and more to help women like my mother.”
“Yes, I glimpsed those words.”
How much had he been able to read before she turned the pages away? Now was the time. She could no longer put it off. Gathering up her courage, she began. “My mother was a disgraced woman. She was shunned and living in despair when Father found her. He took us in and saved us from dying in dire need.” The words rushed out. When Carson touched her hand, she jerked away, afraid to trust him.
“Disgraced? How?”
“I was born out of wedlock. A child of sin.” Hot words burned from her mouth, stinging her lips. Boss nudged closer and whined. She buried her fingers in his fur.
“A child of—Surely no one thoughtof you as that.”
“But they did.” She gulped in air and forced the words from her mouth. “We sold our produce in town—vegetables and berries, eggs, chickens butchered to eat, and butter. Every time, Father brought home a small treat for me. But neither Mama nor I ever went. I was curious as to what town was like. And begged and begged to go with him. Mama said it wasn’t a good idea.” The conversation returned in sharp detail, every word branded on her memory.
“Father said, ‘Mary, things might have changed.’ But Mama just looked sad and insisted people clung hard to their beliefs.”
