Chapter 12
Sam looked down at her breakfast plate with distaste. All she could think about was what had happened last night with Pepper and Mustang Eyes. Why had she told Pepper about Mustang Eyes?
She glanced toward Pepper under her eyelashes. Satisfied that he wasn't looking at her she looked to her Pa. She didn't think Pepper told anyone so far. She hoped it stayed that way. She was sure Wyatt wasn't ready to hear about her Indian suitor.
"Sam, I want you to go over to the Slocums and spend some time with young Mr. Ryan. I want the both of you acting as a normal couple would and court," Wyatt said to her across the table.
Sam glared at him, letting her fork clink down on her plate of eggs and bacon. It was bad enough he and Phantom had arranged a marriage between her and Ryan and now her Pa expected them to court. Sam didn't want to court that British pansy! Let alone look at him. She didn't know what she would do when she married him. Maybe run away to the Indian village and beg Mustang Eyes to whisk her away after she burned the marriage certificate.
"Fine," she put a smug smile upon her face just thinking of burning that certificate.
"As soon as you finish breakfast you should head on over there," Gram stood up and gathered the dishes from everyone who was finished.
Sam glanced toward Pepper and realized he was staring at her now. His expression was troubled. Sam frowned then and turned away. She knew what he was thinking about.
Sam finished her food and got up to put her emptied plate into the sink. She was about to wash it with all the other dishes.
"Let me do that," Her Gram shooed Sam along. "You best get ready and go over to the Slocum's. Dress nice Sam and please wear your corset. Don't roll your eyes at me either, missy. You do as I say and skedaddle!" she said sharply, "I'll be up to lace you."
Sam had happened to be rolling her eyes when she said that. Gram had seemed to know even though her back was turned as she tackled the dirty dishes.
Sam gave a little glare toward her Pa and to Pepper, and to the other ranch hands she faked a smile. She banged her heels on the stairs as she went up on purpose. She wanted them all to know she wasn't happy with this arrangement. She knew it was childish of her, but she didn't care.
With a scowl she flung her armoire to look through her few dresses. She only had three. The one she wore of calico, the other for church, and the other her second best was for going to town. She decided on the one for church which was blue muslin.
She then got her petticoats, stockings, dress boots, and corset out. There was something she had forgotten, and she thought upon it.
Bonnet! She never wore one even though she was supposed to. The result was freckles all over her face and lightly tanned skin. She began getting dressed. She was dreading this day.
The door creaked open and in came Gram, "Ready for me to lace you up?"
Sam nodded and braced herself as Gram yanked on the strings of the corset she had just put on. She winced as it pinched her sides. Her Gram was making it extra tight today for the occasion she assumed. Because it was so tight Sam thought she would faint.
"Gram it's so tight," Sam complained as Gram went and got her dress.
"It's fashion sense, Samantha. Get used to it because that's how it will be when you become a Slocum," Gram slipped the dress over her head.
"Why in the world someone would want to cut off their air source is bizarre to me," Sam retorted, putting on her bonnet and tying it with a yank.
Gram huffed and went over to retie the bonnet right under her chin, with the bow on the side. "All done," she said. She didn't bother saying anything back to Sam's words.
"Yes'm," Sam said, shuffling for the door.
"Don't be saying Yes'm at the Slocum Mansion. And please Samantha my dear, use your side-saddle. It isn't fitting to ride astride a horse," Gram said, kissing Sam's cheek.
"Yes Ma'am," Sam sighed and proceeded to the barn. There she tacked up Ace.
She threw the side-saddle over Ace's back with a groan. This was humiliating to have to act like a proper educated young lady of class. The sound just made her want to vomit.
Ace snorted as if he agreed with her thoughts. Sam laughed as she mounted up and set Ace off into a canter towards Gold Dust.
What a day this would be.
The breeding farm was coming up way too soon for Sam's liking. She really wished maybe Mustang Eyes would come to kidnap her. She wouldn't have to worry about marrying Ryan Slocum anymore.
Sam sighed as she eyed the cold, iron gate entrance of the place. She couldn't live here. It was much too dark and dank on the outside and not to mention stuffy on the inside. Maids bustled everywhere in that Slocum mansion like automatons. Sam shivered as an expressionless guard opened the gates for her.
She nodded as she stiffly rode through. Ace seemed to pick up on her nervousness because he was becoming jittery beneath her.
Oh why, oh why does it have to be me? She sympathized with herself with a frown. The mansion was even more intimidating up close. She'd been there many times to see Jen and wondered why now she had to be frightened of the place.
She trotted Ace up toward the two gigantic stables and wondered which fancy-shmancy stable she was supposed to go to.
A man walked out of the smaller stable toward her. He had a frightening demeanor about him and Sam almost felt like running the opposite direction.
"Need something there miss?" the man asked her as he walked up beside her. He had sharp features with a hawk nose. "Ye-yes," Sam silently gulped down her fear and squared her shoulders, "I'm here to see Ryan Slocum. Where do I put my horse?" she wasn't feeling up to being mannerly with this man. She just wanted to get away.
"Curtis Flickinger, at your service. You can give him to me and I'll put him away." He extended his hand to take the reins from Sam.
She stiffened. She didn't want to put Ace in the hands of this guy but knew better than to argue. "Thank you, Mr. Flickinger." She nodded to him. She dismounted, almost tripping on her many skirts. She was glad she wasn't wearing six petticoats with a wire skirt like high fashion divas wore.
Steadying herself on her own two heeled feet she eyed the mansion one last time and sighed. It was now or never. She lifted the front of her skirts and walked toward the menacing building. "It's now or never," she repeated out loud. How in the world was the time going to pass quickly when she had to spend it with Ryan. Why did her Pa have to be so stubborn?
She hesitantly knocked on the huge wooden doors, hoping no one would hear her.
To her disadvantage, only a minute passed before a stone-faced butler opened the doors for her. She nodded politely and walked through and was nearly attacked by two maids.
"Your cloak, miss?" one asked, not even waiting for an answer.
"Your bonnet, Miss Forster?" the second maid was more polite than the first and waited for Sam to take it off for her.
"Thank you." Sam curtsied, trying to keep her back straight and keeping from toppling over on her extended leg. She never was good at curtsying.
"Master Ryan is up in the library awaiting your arrival, miss," the second maid pointed toward a set of stairs.
"Second floor, miss," said the first maid with a sour tone.
Sam sighed and began her flight up the stairs.
A 'psst' sounded somewhere as she stood at the top step. Sam whipped her head around to look for the sound. It was coming from a closet.
Sam crept over to the closet and almost squealed as someone yanked her around a corner.
"Sam!" a familiar feminine voice chirped, "Coming to spend some time with your dreadful excuse of a fiance?" it was Jen.
"Unfortunately, yes." Sam smiled at her friend.
Jen frowned, "I am sorry your family is making you go through with this." She set the duster she held on a nearby sideboard and turned back to Sam.
Sam nodded and looked toward the library nervously. Ryan hopefully wasn't waiting on her at this exact moment or she would be in some deep trouble.
"I've missed you," Sam gave her a hug. "I have so much to tell you!" she squeaked in an un-lady-like way, but she didn't care. Oh, she couldn't wait to tell Jen all about Mustang Eyes.
"Do you, now?" Jen smirked. "What's to tell me now that you've left me so long?" she gave a small pout.
"I can explain," Sam caught Jen's hands in hers. "I met someone the other day and I think I'm in love w—," she started with a small smile of remembrance.
"Who? Who?!" Jen probed with an excited expression.
"Well," Sam wondered if she should tell her or not.
"Well?!" Jen was nearly jumping up and down. The look on her face told Sam she better tell it or else.
"His name is Mustang Eyes. He's… well he's an Indian," Sam felt her face go red in a blush. What was Jen to think of her?
"You're in love with an Indian?" Jen looked dumbfounded. "But Indians are savages Sam. He'll hurt you!" she cried out, her hands coming to cover her mouth.
"Oh no, Jen, he would never hurt me," Sam shook her head. She could feel her cheeks on fire as she kept a smile from showing.
Jen was about to say something but stopped. The door to the library opened and out stepped Ryan.
Sam shrank back a little. She didn't want him to see her but it was too late.
"Samantha Forster! Where have you been? I've been waiting for the past thirty minutes," Ryan crossed his arms as he walked up to the two young women.
Sam squared her shoulders and looked him right in the eyes, "I didn't recall there being a specific time, Mr. Slocum, however I am here," she said coolly.
Ryan stared over Sam's shoulder to a frozen Jen. "Miss Kenworthy, if I see you idle while you are supposed to be working one more time. I will see to it that you are fired without a moment's notice," he said with such a vengeance it made Sam shiver.
Jen's eyes were wide with fright and she scrambled to grab the duster and go out of the hallway and down the stairs.
"How dare you!" Sam cried out in anger. How dare he speak to Jen like that?
"I beg your pardon?" Ryan said like he was surprised Sam would talk back to him like that.
"You had no right to talk to Jen like that!" she suddenly was nose to nose with him. She glared up at him.
"I have every right. She is nothing but a servant to my eyes," Ryan spat, pushing Sam away harshly.
"Oh and what am I? Some piece of property?" Sam glared at him even harder.
"You shall not speak to me like that. You are soon to be my wife. Wives are not to be disrespectful to their husbands. You poor people may not act civilized but high class people do. You will act right in society. You are going into my kind, Samantha," Ryan said, his voice dripping with venom.
"I shall never be your kind!" Sam snapped, fighting herself from giving him a good slap to the face.
"You will, and you shall have to get used to it now," Ryan said. He made a gesture with his hand as if to dismiss her next words. "Well now that you are here we might as well go about our date like originally planned," he said with long suffering.
Sam sniffed and held her head up high. She would get through this day and she would see Mustang Eyes as soon as possible. She was determined to see him. She would somehow get out of this engagement to Ryan Slocum. There was no way in the world she would let herself become Mrs. Slocum.
She followed Ryan into the library and prepared for a long and dreadful time.
Ë
Sam groaned as she left the library. Two hours had passed since Ryan had caught her and Jen talking. Two hours she endured his talking. She was so thankful to be getting out of the room, that she ran into something poofy that turned out to be Rachel, Ryan's twin sister.
Poofy, indeed. Rachel's dress stuck out so wide Sam had no doubt she wore all six petticoats under her burgundy dress.
"Watch where you are going," Rachel's British accent was thick in rage as Sam knocked her right on the ground. Her petticoats flew up in many folds.
"Sorry," Sam said impatiently. She politely helped Rachel stand then went hurrying down the flight of stairs to go in search for her bonnet and cloak.
She spotted then in a corner a little away from the door and snatched them. She smacked them on and hurried out the door. Not even waiting on a butler to open the heavy wooden door. She saw Ace tethered to a hitching post and strode over to him.
"Have a nice afternoon with young Master Slocum?" Curtis Flickinger asked. Sam jumped, her fingers freezing on the task of untying Ace's reins. "It was fine, thank you," she said, yanking Ace's reins free from the post and swung on top.
"Good day," the man tipped his hat as Sam cantered Ace through the iron gates.