Monday morning, Karen woke up and climbed out of bed, spreading up the covers as soon as she stepped onto the floor fully. Then, she pulled on her clothes for the day and walked downstairs to the dining room.
She was ready to start her day. She had done everything she was supposed to the day before and was more than ready for her class day to start. The way she thought about it, the sooner the day started, the sooner the week would be over and she would be back with the Barkley family where she belonged. At least if she wasn't going to be at home with her family.
Her classes went by quickly. And she finished the day feeling like she had actually gotten something accomplished.
Of course, her last class of the day had seen her dealing with a girl who had not come to the school by choice. Her parents had forced her to come to the school because she wasn't trying to learn the proper skills for a woman. She constantly harassed the other girls at school because she didn't want to be there and she thought that if she harassed enough people they would throw her out. That's what had happened at the other schools she had gone to.
"So, Karen, who was the handsome young gentleman that escorted you back to the school yesterday all alone?" she asked with a sneer on her face. "And how long was the ride?"
"Lydia, leave her alone. That is none of your business."
"It's okay, Kathleen. I wasn't going to answer her questions because, no matter what I say, she's going to make up what she really wants to hear. She wants to hear some bit of juicy gossip and be able to smear my name all over the school. That's all she wants. That or she wants to harass me into starting a fight and then we both get thrown out. I refuse to play that game. That is something my family would be terribly upset over. Me allowing my temper to get the best of me and starting a fight. Embarrassing my family like that." She shook her head. "I just couldn't do it. That's not who I am."
"You just think that you're so much better than me, don't you, Karen Cartwright?"
"I don't believe that I'm better than anyone, Lydia. I just refuse to play the little mind games that you seem to enjoy so much. You don't know how to deal with such a thing. Most people give in to your mind games. That's how you win them."
Lydia stormed over to Karen's desk where she sat simply waiting for the class to start. "You better answer my question."
"Why? My answer doesn't matter. Even if I told you that that young man was my fiance, you would turn the answer into something evil and vile just to try to ruin me at this school."
"Are you engaged to Heath Barkley, Karen?" asked one of the other girls.
"Our families are discussing it. And I stay with his family on the weekends. His mother is so wonderful to me. His brothers and sister all think of me as part of the family. I enjoy it quite thoroughly. They always make me feel so welcome."
"Wow! So many women would love to catch Heath Barkley's eye. How did you do it?"
"It wasn't intentional. We started getting to know each other when his family came to visit mine while I was recovering from a second kidnapping. Heath helped me to regain my self-confidence and his mother reminded me just how strong I was and who my family was. They would be there for me no matter what was going on in my life. They would support me when I needed them." Karen blinked fiercely. She was done crying over that memory. She had survived the first and second kidnappings and still moved on with her life. She had a family that was behind her when she needed them and in front of her when she needed protection. She had a second family that felt the same way.
Lydia saw the tears building and decided to push a little harder. "So, when did you get your first kiss from him?"
"He has only ever kissed my forehead," Karen stated, thinking back to the day Heath had given her her first real kiss that wasn't from family. Lydia didn't need to know about that.
"Why the tears, Karen? Is there something you're not telling us?"
"Have you ever been kidnapped and threatened with rape, Lydia? Have you ever been blindfolded and tied to a bed as two men talked about what they planned to do with you as they ran a hand up your leg under your skirt?" The tears started falling and Karen couldn't help it. She pulled out the handkerchief that Heath had given her and held it against her face.
Just then, Jocelyn Anderton walked into the room. "What is going on here?"
"I don't know, Mrs. Anderton. Karen just burst into tears and wouldn't tell anyone why." The look of innocence on Lydia's face irritated everyone else in the classroom.
"Mrs. Anderton, Lydia was tormenting Karen about Heath bringing her back to school alone. Implying that Karen has been less than ladylike with Heath. His family raised him better than that. We all know that. He would never do anything to compromise Karen's honor. Or any other girl's honor for that matter."
"I know that, Kristin. Probably better than most would. I am a close friend of their family." Mrs. Anderton walked over to Karen. "Karen, are you alright? Do I need to have the Barkley's come and collect you for a few days?"
Karen wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She shook her head. "I'll be fine. Lydia could never understand what I've been through. She's always been so well protected by her family. She doesn't know what it's like to be hated just because of who your family is."
"If you change your mind, let me know. I'll send one of the hands to the Barkley ranch to have them come and get you. Agreed?"
Karen nodded. "Agreed. Thank you, Mrs. Anderton. I appreciate that." Karen was touched that Mrs. Anderton would make such an offer. It meant a lot to her.
"Now, everyone sit down. Mrs. Carlisle will be here in just a moment to conduct your class. Lydia, you will stop being so hateful to anyone and everyone who doesn't follow you the way you think they should. Otherwise, you will be sent home in disgrace. No other school will take you once I finish with you. You will be left uneducated and ignorant."
"Mrs. Anderton, you can't send me home. My family has sent me to several different schools and I always get kicked out of them. How am I supposed to become educated if all of you keep kicking me out?"
"Maybe you should think about that the next time you think to torment someone about things you know nothing about. After all, even women need a certain degree of education."
Caroline Carlisle walked into the classroom. "Mrs. Anderton, what seems to be going on here? I was not expecting you here."
"I would not have been here if someone had not come and told me that Lydia was tormenting poor Karen here. I walked in to find that Karen was in tears and Lydia had a smug look on her face until I spoke. Then, she turned on a look of total innocence. Thankfully, the young woman who had come and got me had told me some of the things that Lydia had already said to Karen. I understood her tears. Lydia is on probation. One more incident like this and she will be sent home and any school that contacts me to find out what kind of a student she is will be told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
"Lydia, you will stay here after class and we will discuss your complete lack of compassion for others."
"Mrs. Carlisle, I have things to do after class."
"That is not my problem. I will keep you after class and we will have this discussion. Unless you would like to be removed from any extra activities for the remainder of your time in this school."
"Yes, ma'am." Lydia hung her head as she took her seat. She shot several cold looks at Karen during the class. Karen was worried that Lydia was going to blame her for missing her activities after class and try to get even for it.
Caroline Carlisle knew exactly what kind of things Lydia wanted to do after class. She knew that one of the hands on the property was courting her and had plans to marry her as soon as possible. What he didn't know is that she had vowed not to marry anyone who had less money than her family did.
Lydia had set her cap for Heath Barkley and was jealous that he had never given her a second look but had apparently fallen for Karen. Caroline felt that Karen and Heath would make a very good-looking couple. She also thought that Lydia was leading this other young man on in an effort to make Heath jealous. It wouldn't work. Caroline knew that. Heath would never be attracted to a shallow girl like Lydia.
"Alright, girls. Let's open our textbooks and begin today's lesson."
At the end of the class, Caroline excused the rest of the class but reminded Lydia that she was to stay after class. Karen left the class quickly and went to the stables to do a bit of riding around the school grounds before supper. It was a habit she'd gotten into while she was home with her own family and she'd gotten permission from Mrs. Anderton to continue her habit while here. So long as she didn't allow it to interfere with her studies and she didn't leave it to someone else to take care of the horse after the ride.
Karen had quickly agreed to Mrs. Anderton's conditions. She had no problem with taking care of the horse after her ride and she actually enjoyed doing it. It gave her a little private time to think. To think about things that she needed to think about.
It gave her time to think about what things would be like when she and Heath got married. She knew that eventually he would ask her and then they would be able to start planning the wedding. After all, she could tell that Audra was already starting to plan things for the wedding.
Karen quickly saddled her chosen horse for the day and mounted up. She rode out of the stables and took a nice leisurely walk with her horse around the main school house and then made a larger circle to include the barn and the corral.
She rode out close to a cliff that was on the property. Dismounting she looked out over the valley below and thought about Heath. He was such a gentleman. She found herself constantly thinking about him and wishing she could marry him right now instead of waiting until after her school years.
Karen's daydream was interrupted quite rudely by the sound of a snake nearby. Apparently, she had disturbed the snake and it was coiled as if to strike. Remembering what she'd always been told, she kept her eyes on the snake and slowly backed away toward her horse.
When she reached her horse, she spun and mounted quickly, turning the horse back toward the stable and away from the snake.
Returning to the stable, Karen quickly but thoroughly took care of the horse and went into the house. She was still shaking more than a little bit. The snake had truly frightened her. Had she been bitten that far out, she wasn't sure that she would have been able to make it back before the venom took her.
Walking into the house, Karen bumped into Mrs. Anderton who immediately noticed the pallor of her face and the way her hands were shaking.
"Karen? Are you okay? What happened, dear?"
"There was a snake out by the cliff near the valley. It spooked me. I realized that if I had gotten bitten out there, I don't think I would have been able to make it back before the venom took me."
Mrs. Anderton wrapped Karen in her arms and pulled her into a warm and caring hug. Karen broke down in the woman's arms, crying out the nerves that had wracked her body since the moment she had first heard the snake out by that cliff.
"I think we need to send you back to the Barkley's." Karen looked up, worried that she would be sent away from the school. Jocelyn seemed to understand the look and comforted Karen. "At least for the rest of the week. Would that be something you would consider?" Karen looked up at the woman in front of her and nodded weakly. "I'll send someone over there in the morning to have them come pick you up. Okay?"
"Okay."
"And you don't have to attend any classes tomorrow before they pick you up. In fact, I would prefer it if you just went from breakfast to the nurse's office and waited there. About lunch time, we'll move you out to the porch to wait for them."
Karen nodded. "I shouldn't be this shaken. I'm used to snakes. There have always been snakes around the Ponderosa. That's where I learned to deal with them. But something about this one just spooked me to no end."
Jocelyn nodded. "I think I can understand. But we'll let you have the rest of the week to relax for a bit and then you can come back and resume your classes."
"There won't be a problem, will there?"
Jocelyn shook her head. "I doubt it. After all, you're doing quite well in all your classes and keeping up with everything with no problems so far, even though you've only been here a week. But I don't see you having any problems with catching back up after a week away."
Karen nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?"
Jocelyn nodded with a smile. "Come along into the kitchen. I think we can find you something to do. It might help you calm down."
The next morning, true to her word, Jocelyn sent one of the hands to the Barkley ranch with a note explaining what had happened and what Jocelyn was doing for it.
Victoria had received the note and read it quickly. She immediately called for Heath.
"Heath, hitch up the carriage. You'll be taking Audra and I to the school. Karen needs some time. I'll let her explain why once we get her back here. Mrs. Anderton sent a note just this morning. She's allowing Karen to come home for the rest of the week. She'll go back to school on Monday."
Heath knew better than to question his mother right then. She had that look on her face that told anyone who knew her that she was going to protect someone she considered family and anyone who stood in her way would regret doing so. He went straight out to the barn and started on the task he'd been set.
It didn't take him long. He was determined to find out what had happened to Karen that Mrs. Anderton would send her back to the ranch for the week. Something had to have happened or Karen wouldn't be coming back so quickly.
Within an hour and a half, the carriage was ready to go and Audra and Victoria climbed in for the trip to the school. They wanted to get to Karen quickly. With what Mrs. Anderton had written to Victoria, she knew that Karen's state of mind would be very fragile right then. The wrong person saying the wrong thing could possibly send her into a complete and total meltdown. Thankfully, they had decided to bring Heath along in case they needed him.
Of course, knowing that something had happened to Karen, Jarrod and Nick had asked permission to ride along. Just in case extra help was needed, as Jarrod had put it. Nick had agreed with his brother.
Victoria had approved. She was worried that seeing Karen's state of mind would make Heath mad enough to lash out at anyone nearby. Jarrod and Nick might have to restrain their brother in order to make him calm down.
"We're ready, Heath," Victoria said as she settled into her seat. They even had an extra blanket along in case it was needed. She hoped it wouldn't be but she had decided to be prepared.
Pulling up in front of the school, Heath helped his mother and sister climb down from the carriage and step up on the porch. He could see Karen sitting there and his first thought was to go to her and wrap her in his arms. But he stayed back, allowing his mother and sister to comfort her first. He would get his chance when they got back to the ranch.
He watched as Victoria and Audra led her back to the carriage. "May I help you up, Karen?"
She nodded to him. He lifted her up to the seat and she settled down in the middle of the seat. Once Victoria and Audra had taken their places on the carriage seats, Heath climbed up to the front. He started the team in motion and they headed back to the ranch.
Karen sat quietly in the middle of the seat between Victoria and Audra. She didn't know what to say. Heath hadn't even acknowledged her until he asked if he could help her up into the carriage. Was he upset that she was coming back to the house? That she was missing school for a week?
She just didn't know. And she wasn't sure she wanted to know if she was being honest with herself. She looked at Victoria as the older lady and her daughter wrapped the younger woman in the extra blanket they had brought along. She sunk into the blanket and sat back finding herself drifting towards sleep.
By the time they arrived back at the ranch, Karen was sound asleep between Audra and Victoria. Audra climbed out of the carriage first and then Nick stepped up so that his mother could get down without dropping Karen on the seat. Once Victoria had left the carriage, Heath stepped closer so that he could take Karen and carry her up to her room.
Heath carefully cradled Karen close to him and stepped back from the carriage. Jarrod grabbed Karen's bag and Nick stepped up to take care of the horses. "Take her inside quickly, Heath. She'll be more comfortable in her own bed."
"Yes, Mother."
As he walked up the steps to the porch, he turned back. "I will stay beside her in case she needs me. I would prefer we not leave her alone if possible."
"I agree, Heath. You may stay with her for now." Heath nodded and walked into the house without any further delays.
Walking into Karen's room, he noticed that Silas had obviously been in and had already turned down the covers so that she could be put straight into bed. He hoped that at some point she would explain what had happened so that he could help her recover.
But some small part of him worried that she may never fully recover from whatever it was that was bothering her right now. And he worried that he might not be able to help her as much as he wanted to.
He moved a chair closer to her bed after tucking her in, sat down and pulled off his boots, setting them neatly under her bed, before placing his feet on the bed and settling back in the chair to relax and maybe get a little sleep himself before she woke up and told him what was going on.