A Life Full of Questions – Chapter 1

Tressie had been traveling for weeks and still couldn't believe what she heard. Well, it was overheard while she was eavesdropping; but no matter, she still heard it. And, she intended to get to the bottom of it.

She had borrowed a traveling dress from her older sister, Alyssa's wardrobe. Alyssa, at 18, had much more mature-looking dresses than Tressie did and Tressie wanted to look older than her 16 years – well, she'd be 16 next month, but that didn't matter either. She'd heard stories about women who traveled west alone and wanted to avoid looking too young or innocent.

She'd traveled as far as she could by train and then had to travel by stagecoach the rest of the way to Tucson. She didn't admire the scenery or the horses she was passing as her mind was on other, more important, things. Her father had been keeping a big secret and she was going to find out more about it. The best way to find out about it was to go to the source and ask. It was obvious Father wasn't going to answer her questions. He'd only chastised her for eavesdropping and warned her that he'd not put up with snooping. That meant it was up to her to find the answers.

Tressie wished she'd borrowed a thinner dress for traveling as it was getting very hot in her velvet suit with its jacket and heavy hat. The blue color brought out the blue in her eyes and didn't cause her light brown hair to appear mousy. She could feel water running down her back and face. How in the world do people stay cool out here, she wondered. She pulled a pocket watch from her pouch and looked at the time. At the last stop, the driver told her they would be in Tucson in about two hours and that was nearly two hours ago. She couldn't wait to get to a hotel and have a bath. One of the things her father told Tressie and her sisters about Tucson was that it's very primitive, so she brought her favorite scented soap and a few other toiletries she was afraid they would not have here.

Soon, the coach started slowing down and Tressie could see buildings and people on board sidewalks. Some of them appeared to be waiting on the stagecoach and others went on about their business. The young couple who'd been traveling with her the past couple days waved at an older gentleman as the coach came to a stop. They stepped off first and the woman hugged the older gentleman and Tressie could hear her address him as 'Papa'. She suddenly felt a little homesick. Here she was in a strange town and didn't know a soul. She had a big house and a family back in Boston who were probably worried about her. She left a note, but didn't tell them where she was going. Father would probably figure out where she went, but she planned to satisfy her curiosity before he had a chance to get there.

Tressie got off the stage and asked the driver for the location of the hotel. He pointed to the corner and handed her the two bags she brought with her. As she started toward the sign that said 'Hotel', she noticed that she was being watched by the people on the streets. She supposed they didn't get many strangers in Tucson, or maybe they just don't get lady strangers traveling alone. Stepping up onto the first step of the hotel, she nearly tripped. It had been a long day and she was tired. She thought the next thing she'd do right after her bath is sleep. Eating didn't even appeal much to her right now, so she figured she could hold out until breakfast. She felt the coolness as soon as she opened the hotel door and marveled at how a building could stay so cool inside when the outside was like an oven.

The short, balding man at the counter smiled and welcomed her to the hotel. He adjusted his spectacles and asked her how long she'd be staying. Tressie wasn't sure how to answer since she really hadn't thought about it. Of course, she'd stay until she got what she came for, but how long that might take would be anyone's guess. "Well, I'm not exactly sure how long I will be staying. Is that a problem?"

The man said, "Why no, it won't be any problem to put you up as long as you are in town. I'm Edwin Tillery. Please sign the register and I'll get someone to take your bags to room 4." Mr Tillery motioned to a young skinny boy by the door. The boy came to the desk and picked up Tressie's bags. Tressie took the key from Mr Tillery and followed the boy to room 4.

Tressie unlocked the door, stepped into the room, and held the door open for the bellboy to put the bags inside the room. She pulled a coin from her purse and handed it to the young man. He smiled and said, "Thank you Miss. If you need anything else, my name is Chester." Tressie noticed what a nice smile he had and smiled back. "Thank you, Chester. May I ask you a question?"

Chester nodded so she went on. "Do you know the Cannon family who own a ranch near here?"

Chester nodded again. "Yes ma'am. Everybody knows them. They own the High Chaparral."

Tressie then asked, "How would a person go about contacting them….without riding out there?"

Chester frowned. "Well, you could just wait till somebody comes to town. That's usually about once a week. Or, you could pay somebody to ride out and tell them you want to see them. Or, you could hire a rig and go out there. You might want to hire a driver and shotgun rider in case there's trouble."

Tressie was surprised at that last bit of information and she leaned in closer to Chester. "What kind of trouble?"

Chester liked having Tressie's attention. He seldom got much attention at home, with being the eldest and having ten siblings, soon to be eleven. He took the job at the hotel to help support them. He would be 18 soon and hoped to find a girl and get married, but at the rate he was going, he would be supporting his siblings for a while. His father just couldn't seem to hold onto a job. "Apaches, comancheros, bandits. That sort of thing."

Tressie stood back up to her full five feet, three inches; and walked to the washstand. "Oh. Where would I find someone who could take a message to Billy Cannon?"

Chester looked puzzled. "You mean Blue?"

"Oh, yes, I suppose I do. Where would I find this person who can get him a message?" Tressie could wait, but she wasn't sure she wanted to. She really needed to speak with Billy before her father arrived. He'd make her go back home and she still wouldn't know anything.

"I saw Manolito a little while ago when I stepped outside to clean the windows. He usually stays a day or two. He would probably deliver your message."

This made Tressie very happy. The sooner she could speak with Billy, the better. "Where would I find him?"

Chester grinned. "At the saloon. He's always there, unless he's at Perlita's. I saw Perlita headed out of town with her husband, Carlos; so I know most Mano ain't with her."

"Fine. Can you point out the saloon to me? I must speak with him soon."

"Uh, Ma'am, you better hadn't go in the saloon. The only ladies in there are…well, you jest shouldn't go in there."

Tressie was getting frustrated. "Well, fine. Then, how do I see this gentleman without going to the saloon?"

Chester saw his chance to earn another coin. "I could go get him for ya'."

"That would be very nice of you, Chester. Can you go get him while I freshen up?"

Chester agreed and left immediately. Tressie turned to her bags to find another dress. The one she was still wearing was soaking wet with the sweat that had been pouring off of her for several hours. She quickly removed the garment, wiped off the sweat, and put on a much lighter dress. She was just finished dressing when Chester knocked on the door.

Tressie opened the door and greeted Chester, handing him another coin that appeared to make him very happy. He gestured to the man beside him and said, "This is Manolito Montoya. He works at the High Chaparral and could get a message to Blue for ya'. Mano, this is Tressie Daniels. She's the lady that needs to see Blue. Ma'am, I have to get back downstairs now." With that, Chester left again.

Tressie's attention turned to the tall and dark-featured man left standing in her door. He was smiling at her in a way that made her uncertain she should be talking to him in a hotel hallway, let alone at the door to her room. She didn't feel threatened, just…well, Tressie didn't have enough experience with relationships to know exactly what she was feeling exactly. She smiled at the man and noticed that he had deep dimples on his cheeks. His clothing was unlike anything she'd ever seen except in the books her father illustrated. He wore pants with a stripe down the outside of each leg and a short jacket. It dawned on her that she'd seen this man in one of her father's sketches.

"Miss Daniels, what may I do for you?" The man spoke with a spanish accent, but his English was perfect.

"I must get a message to Billy Cannon that I need to see him right away. Can you have him meet me here as soon as possible?"

The man frowned. "Ah, this I cannot do. You see, Blue is not able to leave the rancho at this time. There are not enough hands on the rancho and Blue had to stay behind to watch over things until everyone returns."

Tressie was disappointed. "When do you expect he will be able to come to Tucson?"

"Perhaps a few days. Perhaps a week or two. What is the occasion that you need to see him so quickly, Senorita?"

She wasn't about to tell him the truth. But, what could she tell him? She'd need to come up with something. "I'm an agent for a publisher and I've come here to meet with him about some drawings of his that we'd like to use."

The man laughed. "Chica, you are barely more than a child. You could not possibly be an agent. Now, tell me what you must see my friend so badly about."

Tressie didn't want to tell this man her reason for coming, so she changed her approach. "Can you take me to see him?"

The man smiled again. "Yes, I believe I could do that. I planned to return to High Chaparral in the morning. Would you like to accompany me at that time?"

Tressie had hoped to talk with Billy alone and away from the ranch, but she'd take what she could get. "Yes, I would."

"Adios until the morning, Senorita." Mano tipped his hat.

"I'll see you in the morning then."

She watched this interesting gentleman disappear down the hallway, then shut the door to her room. The situation wasn't ideal, but it was a start toward what she needed to find out. In the morning, she would take a trip to the ranch and be face-to-face with her father's secret.