Chapter 24
Elizabeth grabbed her bonnet off the peg and stepped out onto the porch. Shading her eyes from the sudden glare of the sun, she smiled as the rays of the sun hit her face, and made her skin warm. Walking down the steps, she headed for the barn. Knowing her husband was busy checking the fields, she had decided to slip out of the house, and visit the horses.
Ever since she had fainted that day when Will was trying to help her get over her fear of being near them, Elizabeth really hadn't been near them. They still frightened her, but not as much as when she was a child. Stepping into the dimly lit barn, she let her eyes adjust before walking over to the stall that housed Willow and her foal.
"Hello there sweet girl." She said and let the mare smell her hand before placing it on her velvet nose. The mare's whiskers felt rough under her fingers. She spent a few minutes talking to the mare and baby, before a high pitched whinny from the other end of the barn caught her attention.
Backing away from Willow's stall, she curiously walked to where the whinny had originated from. At the end of rows of stalls, she found a sleek black mare prancing around in her stall. Laying her hand on the top of the stall, Elizabeth leaned forward, and gazed in to the frightened light brown eyes of the mare.
She had never seen this horse before and it seemed that her husband had purchased a new mare in the last few days. The mare nervously pawed the ground and threw her head up. Elizabeth felt herself drawn to the frightened and wild young mare. Her gaze drifted to the bolt holding the stall shut and without realizing it, she found herself sliding the bolt, and had the door half way open, when something grabbed her arm, and jerked her backwards.
The wind was knocked out of her lungs in a whoosh and she found herself sitting on the ground. Raising her head, Elizabeth looked up in to the angry eyes of her husband. Trying to brush some of the straw from her skirt, she didn't look back up at him again.
"You could have been killed, Beth." Will almost shouted down at her. when he had seen her about ready to enter the stall, he had become scared that he was not going to get her in time, but when he pulled her back, that feeling turned to anger.
She clumsily climbed to her feet when he didn't offer to help her and glared at him. "I only wanted to touch her. I'm sure she wouldn't have harmed me." She said and instinctively laid a hand on her growing abdomen.
His eyes followed her movements and she saw them soften. "Are you alright?" he asked with a hint of worry in his voice.
"We are both fine." With that last statement, she walked out of the barn, and decided to head to her favorite spot on the homestead. She had almost reached it when the sound of running boots reached her ears. Keeping her back to him, she felt him lay a hand on her shoulder and turn her around.
Beth, I'm sorry; when I saw you about ready to enter her stall, I panicked." He explained when he turned her around. She kept her head down and he could still feel some tension in her shoulder.
"You could have just warned me not to enter the stall. I think it was unnecessary for you to grab my arm and yank me backwards." Lifting her head, she looked in to the regretful eyes of her husband.
He ran a hand down her cheek and cupped her jaw. "Why were you about ready to enter the stall? I thought you were still scared of horses."
Shrugging off his hand, she walked a few steps before turning back to face him. "I am, but I felt drawn to this mare. She is just frightened and scared; the same way I felt when I boarded the stagecoach back in March." She saw his surprised expression and chuckled softly. "I know how to hide my fear well."
Will walked over and gently pulled her into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on top of hers. Elizabeth put her head over his heart and hears the slow beating in her ear. After a few moments, she raised her head and saw him studying her.
"Come with me," he said and grabbed her hand. Pulling her alongside him, he didn't answer her questions when she asked where they were going. Heading back to the barn, Will silently led her to the mare's stall. Stopping in front of it, he watched the mare prance around for a few moments, before shifting his gaze down to his wife. "Hold out your hand."
She met his gaze for a moment before lifting her hand over the edge of the stall door. Watching the mare, she asked after a few minutes. "Why am I doing this?"
"Be quiet."
Elizabeth closed her mouth and didn't say anything for a few more minutes. She watched quietly as the mare tossed her head and slowly walked forward. She reached her nose forward and Elizabeth felt her breath tickle her hand as she smelled her. The mare walked a few more steps closer and Elizabeth was able to softly put her hand on the mare's nose.
A small smile spread across her lips when the mare came closer and pushed her head in to her hand. Moving her gaze away from the mare, Elizabeth gazed up at her husband and found him watching both of them. Tilting her head to the side after making sure her hand was still resting on the mare's nose, she asked, "Did you know this was going to work?"
Will slightly shook his head and offered her a small smile. "I had a hunch. This mare needs someone who can relate to her and understand her fear. I think you are that person." He slowly reached forward, but when the mare saw what he was doing, she flinched back and retreated to the back of her stall. "I'm sorry, Beth. It looks like she only likes you."
She reached down and intertwined their fingers. "I'm sure she will come around to liking you."
"She is your horse now Beth. You also have to choose a name for her." he said as they walked out of the barn.
"Where did you get her from?"
"My cousin lives just north of town and he and some friends brought cattle up to Wyoming a few months ago and he came back with this mare. He knew I was looking for another horse and suggested I purchase this one."
"Why have I never met your cousin before?" she asked suddenly. Elizabeth thought she knew of all of her husband's family.
"Fitz Matlock has been herding cattle to Wyoming since the beginning of March and they just got back to town last week. He wasn't here when you first arrived, but if you want to meet him, Fitz will be at the dance tonight." Will said when they entered the house. He hung his hat and her bonnet on the peg, before walking into the kitchen. Jane and Anna were busy making cookies for the children tonight.
Elizabeth sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and thanked her husband when he set a tin cup of water in front of her. She listened to the conversation drift around the table as she sipped the cool water. They sat their enjoying the afternoon before it was time for Will to feed the horses and hitch up the wagon to bring them into town.
While Will was hitching the geldings to the wagon, Elizabeth went to her room to change in to a different dress and get Anna dressed for the night. A few minutes later she walked out of her room, where Jane soon joined her. They grabbed their bonnets and walked out on to the porch just as Will brought the team of horses up to them.
Jumping down, he helped the ladies up into the wagon, and climbed up to the bench. Turning the horses to the south, he clucked to them, and they started toward the dance. It didn't take them long to reach their destination. As he pulled into the church yard, Will looked around and found that Charles and Caroline had already arrived, along with his cousin.
Pulling the geldings to a halt, he jumped down, and went around the back to help Jane and Anna down. He handed them the basket of cookies and told them to run along, they would be right behind them. Walking to the front of the wagon, Will looked up, and found Elizabeth watching him. Holding up his arms, he helped her down, and remembered the first time they had stood this close together.
"What are you thinking of?"
Gazing down, he stared in to her bright hazel eyes, and saw the love she had for him swimming in their depths. "I was thinking of the first time we stood like this."
Elizabeth blushed slightly at the memory and turned to walk into the church. Will reached out and grabbed her hand to link his arm with hers. Leading her in to the church, he already heard the band playing and saw couples on the dance floor. A few people saw them come in and went over to greet them.
After greeting many of the town folks, Will led her over to the young man who was watching them from the edge of the dance floor. Stopping in front of him, he chuckled slightly when he saw the look on his face. "Fitz, I would like to introduce you to my wife Elizabeth. Beth, this is my cousin Fitz Matlock."
Fitz held out his hand and shook hers. After a moment, he turned his attention to his cousin, and raised a brow. "When I rode in to town a few days ago, I heard rumors that you had married, but I didn't believe it until now. I'm sorry I missed the wedding."
Will chuckled softly and laid a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "You have been gone for a few months and a lot has happened since you have been gone." He said and looked over his shoulder when he lost Fitz's attention and saw him staring at Jane.
Turning back to his cousin, he slightly shook his head. "She is already taken Fitz."
Fitz's eyes widened slightly when he saw Bingley walk over to the pretty blonde and together they walked out to the dance floor. Whistling low, he said, "I never thought I would see the day when Bingley fell for a woman."
"That is my sister you are staring at Mr. Matlock." Elizabeth said and lightly hit him on the arm.
He rubbed his arm and turned to his cousin. "Will, call off your wife."
Will grabbed her hand, gave his cousin a slight nod, before leading his wife on to the dance floor. Putting one arm around her waist, he grabbed her other hand, and set it on his shoulder. "Can we invite your cousin over for supper one night this week? I would like to get to know your cousin."
"I will ask him before we leave." He said and slightly tilted his head. She followed the tilt of his head and saw Caroline dancing with the town banker. He spun her around and Elizabeth caught the sound of her laughter. Turning her gaze away from the couple, she looked back at her husband.
"She seems to be finally enjoying herself. I think a night of fun and dancing was just the thing she needed."
"Charles informed me last night that Caroline is going back East at the end of the week. She will travel to Meeker for the wedding in a few months." He said as they made their way to the refreshment table. Grabbing two glasses of punch, Will handed her one before taking a long drink of his own.
"I hope she finds the happiness she is searching for. It is not here in Pemberly, but back East." Elizabeth watched the dancers for a few moments, before her gaze landed on Anna playing with other girls her age. She smiled a small smile when she thought back over the last months; her life had certainly changed for the better