Page 22 of Kissing the Sheriff
“Yes, I think it’s a good idea. Just what this town needs.” Sterling headed for the kitchen. “We’ll discuss it over dinner.”
Conrad watched him go, then turned to his brothers. “Is it just me, or is he acting odd?”
Oliver rolled his eyes. “He can’t stop talking about Letty. How beautiful she is, how wonderful she is.” He batted his eyelashes.
“He’s driving us crazy, Conrad,” Wallis said. “Speak to him.”
Conrad took his usual seat. “The only thing to cure him is wedding vows. Has he said any more about it?”
“No,” Wallis said. “Only that he can’t wait to make her his bride.” He sat and slumped in his chair. “If he marries Letty and decides to stay, then Irving will make us all miserable.”
“Yes.” Conrad looked at the lobby. “Irving, perfectionist that he is, could drive all Sussex mad.”
“What will Mother say about this?” Oliver asked. “How angry do you think she’ll be?”
“Mother won’t know anything unless we return without Sterling,” Conrad replied.
“Or with Letty,” Wallis said. “Then what?”
“She’ll have to accept it. It’s not like Father will disinherit Sterling because he took a commoner as his wife.”
“I wonder if Mother will think her a peasant,” Oliver mused.
“Don’t say that around Sterling,” Conrad warned, glancing at the kitchen door. “Best stop talking about it. Dora and Jean don’t need to know our plight. Not until Letty and Sterling want them to.”
“Right,” Oliver said. “Mum’s the word.”
The three stopped talking altogether and Conrad wondered if Dora or Jean had overheard them. No one knew their position, that their father was the Viscount Darlington. It was best if things stayed that way. People treated them different and started think about only one thing: money. Letty knew but promised Sterling she wouldn’t say anything. He hoped she kept that promise.
Sterling returned, and within moments Irving and Phileas joined them. Dora and Jean brought the food to the table and the men eyed it like hungry wolves. As soon as Phileas said a quick blessing, the meal began.
Conrad wished Cassie was eating with them. He’d enjoyed talking with her this afternoon even though not much was said. Still, he was beginning to see more of her pain, and his heart went out to her. What would he see tomorrow?
* * *
Cassie stoodin the middle of her parlor and stared at her father’s chair. Conrad and Billy had done a good job cleaning it. She tried to see what else they’d done and noticed her bookshelf had been rearranged and was neater.
As she wandered around the room, other things caught her eye. The fireplace mantle was no longer covered with dust. Knickknacks she had placed around the room had been cleaned as well. None of the furniture had been moved but Conrad might do that tomorrow. She’d stayed at the office late and part of her was disappointed she had. She missed the chance to speak with Conrad and Billy and ask how their afternoon went.
She made herself a sandwich, are it quickly, then changed into a simple blue cotton skirt and an old white blouse. Downstairs she put on an apron, grabbed a hat off the peg near the back door and left. Near the clothesline she picked up her laundry basket then looked at the orchard across the road. Harvest time was one of her favorite times of the year. She liked talking with Dora, Jean, and Letty while picking apples. It was a leisurely chore that everyone in town helped with. You never knew who would show up.
Cassie began the trek to the orchard behind the buildings on the other side of the street. When she reached it, she walked down the first row of trees. Everyone would be at the other end near the Watsons’. They often started at that end and worked their way to the other. People took some apples home with them. The captain would come through with his wagon, the rest would be loaded onto it, and then he’d make the trip to Virginia City. When he returned, any money made from the apples was put into the town treasury. Part of that paid her wages. All the more reason to help with every harvest.
She heard voices and headed toward them. It wasn’t long before she spied Tess and Harold Watson with Billy. To her surprise, Conrad was with them along with his two youngest brothers, Oliver and Wallis. “Evening,” she greeted.
Oliver tipped his hat. “Evening, Sheriff.” He reached up, plucked an apple off a branch, and put it in a basket. “These are delicious. But they’re not Macintosh. What are they?”
“To tell you the truth, we don’t know. But they make good pies.” She set her basket down, went to a low branch and started picking. Billy was already up in the tree along with Jandy Brighton and Cheyenne Tate, tossing apples down to the adults who put them in their baskets.
Of course, the topic of conversation was the dance. No one knew the details yet and everyone was guessing as to what might transpire. “I’m hoping for a barn dance,” Marybelle Tate said.
“Does anyone around here have a barn that large?” Wallis asked.
“What’s wrong with having it in the middle of town?” Conrad mused.
Cassie maneuvered around several baskets to join him. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you need a large area to accommodate everyone. Seems the middle of town is the most logical choice. It’s not as if you have a park here. Though there is that meadow behind the saloon and hotel …”
