A Life Full of Questions - Chapter 2
Tressie awoke the next morning feeling somewhat rested. The bed was one of the more comfortable ones she'd slept in since she left home, but it wasn't at all like her bed at home. Her home in Boston was spacious and comfortable. This room was relatively clean, which was nothing short of a miracle given the amount of dust outside. She wondered what the ranch would be like that she was riding to today. She'd heard that there was a woman there to keep house, but from what she'd read in the novels her father illustrated, those women were not the decent sort. The woman was probably just a maid and there was no telling what other services she provided the ranch workers. She hoped she didn't come to regret her decision to visit the ranch.
She got up and removed her toiletries from her satchel. It wouldn't last long in the heat, but at least she'd smell like lavender for a little while. She quickly washed, dressed and put her hair up into a loose bun that made her look older – at least, she hoped it made her look older. Today's dress was lighter than yesterday's, but still probably too heavy for the heat. The fabric tended to stick to her when she was sweating; so she decided to visit the Mercantile after breakfast to see if she could buy a new dress more suited to the climate in Arizona. With her mind made up, she put on her boots and went in search of breakfast. Having skipped dinner last night, she was famished.
The hotel had a restaurant that was open so Tressie walked in and sat down. Finding no menu, she motioned for the waitress. A young dark-haired girl Tressie judged to be about her older sister's age came to her table. "What can I get for ya' Miss?"
"I'd like to start with a menu, please."
The waitress smiled and Tressie noticed that she didn't seem to have an order pad. "We don't have menus Miss. We only offer a few things and most folks know what they are. For breakfast, we have eggs, sausage, gravy, and biscuits. We have apple turnovers too. Oh, and coffee. Ya' want all of that or just some of it?"
Tressie was hoping for something different, but decided that eggs should be the same all over. "I'll have two eggs, a biscuit, and a cup of coffee. The eggs should be cooked for three minutes."
The waitress still wrote nothing down. "Thank you Miss. It'll be right out." Then she disappeared through the double doors that Tressie assumed led to the kitchen. Taking her small notebook from her pouch, she made a few notes. Tressie was faithful about keeping notes in her journal. She wanted to be a writer someday, so she wrote down just about everything.
As she put her notebook back into her pouch, she checked on her money stash. She'd been saving money from her allowance and discovered she could make money writing small bits for a local paper. Her parents weren't aware she had a 'job'. She hated to lie, even by omission, but she expected that they wouldn't allow her to continue if they knew. She'd made up a penname so that her byline wouldn't get their attention. Her parents wanted their daughters to marry suitable men and settle down to be fine Boston ladies. While Tressie dreamed of finding someone she could love, she also wanted to be a writer.
The waitress appeared with breakfast and asked if she would be needing anything else. Before Tressie could dismiss the woman, the man who was to be her guide approached the table. He bowed slightly at the waist and said, "Good morning, Senorita. I hope that you slept well." He then turned to the waitress. "I will be joining Miss Daniels. Would you bring me some breakfast, please?" Tressie noticed that the woman's demeanor had changed. She was blushing and concentrated on the man's face. "Why certainly, Mano. I know just how you like it." She gave him a coquettish grin and started to walk toward the kitchen. Mr Montoya watched her walk away, and muttered, "Ah, yes. You certainly do."
"Ahem. Mr Montoya, would you like to sit down?" Mr Montoya turned toward Tressie In surprise, as if he'd forgotten she was there. Pulling the chair out, he responded, "Yes, I would. Thank you."
After he sat down, Tressie noticed what a nice smile the man had. He must have bathed and shaved this morning because he looked clean and fresh. She imagined what he must smell like, then stopped herself. She was a Boston lady whose family was regularly in the society pages. The very thought that she'd have anything to do with a cowboy was just ridiculous.
"Mr Montoya, how far away is the ranch?" Will we be back by this evening?"
The man laughed. "Ah, no, that will not be possible. It will take us all day just to get there. You must stay at least overnight. And, please, my name is Manolito. You may call me Mano, or Manolo, or Manolito. Mr Montoya is my father."
Tressie was appalled. "Stay? At the ranch? I couldn't possibly." Her father wouldn't approve of her traveling alone with a strange man. What would he say about her staying at the ranch?
"You needn't worry, Miss Daniels. My sister is there. I assure you, no harm will come to you." The look on Tressie's face must have been one of utter shock, because the man definitely looked amused.
The waitress chose that time to bring Mr Montoya's food. Again, Mr Montoya, Mano, and the waitress smiled their flirty smiles at each other. Setting his plate on the table ,she said, "Here you are Mano. Just the way you like it." To which, he responded, never looking at the plate, "Yes, it is. Gracias." He watched, longingly, as she walked away.
Tressie, again, had to call his attention away from the waitress's retreating back. "Ahem!" Once she had his attention, she went on. "As I was saying, I'm not certain it's a good idea for me to ride all that way with you alone. And, staying at a strange ranch…well, I'm just not certain that would be acceptable."
The man looked even more amused. "Well, you must suit yourself. I will be leaving after breakfast."
They ate in near silence. Tressie had the feeling that her breakfast companion was measuring her in some way. She thought more about whether she trusted this man enough to travel with him. He seemed polite, but continued to flirt with the waitress every time she came and refilled his coffee cup. Tressie's feelings still had not sorted themselves out at the end of breakfast. He was waiting for an answer and she wasn't sure what it should be. "Yes, I'll go with you." Before she could stop them the words had just spilled out of her. What had she done?
Mano grinned and Tressie wondered if he ever looked anything but amused. "Excellent. We will stop at the hotel and collect your luggage and then stop at the livery to rent a buggy. It is too far for a lady like you to ride a horse."
"Well, why shouldn't I ride a horse? I've been riding since I was very small."
"Yes, I suppose you have, but this is very far across a hot desert. The buggy is covered and will offer you some protection from the sun. We wouldn't want you to get sunburned."
Tressie hadn't thought of that. How would she explain it to her mother? Good Boston families don't have sunburned children. "No, I suppose I don't want to get sunburned." She remembered her need for a dress. "Mano, I need to stop at the dress shop and buy a dress more suitable for the climate. Can you direct me to it?"
He looked concerned now. "Miss Daniels, Tucson is still a small town. Too small to have a dress shop. However, they do sell dresses at the general store. I am sure they would have one that will suffice."
Tressie was disappointed. "Well, I suppose if they don't, I'll just have to make do with the dresses I brought with me. Fine then, would you be so kind as to point me in the direction of the general store?"
They paid their bill for breakfast and Mano escorted Tressie to the general store. Inside the store, she found a light blue gingham dress similar to ones she'd seen on ladies at other stops they made since arriving in Arizona. She bought the dress and a wide-brimmed hat that would help shade her face from the sun. The hat had a lacy scarf that could be used to help keep the hat in place in windy conditions. Mano assured her that the hat would be cooler than a bonnet. She decided the undergarments she already had would be all she would need for now. She watched Mano purchase three yards of a beautiful purple fabric and several yards of ribbon to match, then paid for her own items.
They took their packages to the hotel. Mano waited in the lobby while Tressie went to her room to put on the new dress and hat, and pack her belongings. She liked the way the dress brought out the blue in her eyes. As she entered the lobby, Mano stood and bowed, taking off his hat in a sweeping gesture. "You are a beautiful woman, Miss Daniels. All of the men in Tucson will be upset that I am taking you away." Then he took her hand and kissed it.
Tressie was a bit surprised but recovered quickly. "Why Mr Montoya, that's nice of you to say. Shall I check out so we can get going?"
Mano agreed so Tressie approached the front desk and announced, "Mr Tillery, I'm checking out."