Author's Note: I have no beta readers, so there may always be some ways I can tighten my prose. I have no problem with constructive criticism. I do have a style of writing in that I try to stay away from using names and repeating myself over and over. So by my own policy I always have an adjective and a noun instead of Jane this and Jane that. I also hate the overuse of pronouns. She does this and she does that, which she are you talking about. I do try and set up what is being said with the correct adjective. I will admit sometimes I miss. So I will try harder to select the proper adjective to set the mood and keep the pace.
Chapter 7: The Trail to England
Joseph Conrad was startled by the young woman's reaction to his news. The heavy-set buyer had expected a long letter of condolence or maybe some gift or gesture to cheer up the grieving daughter. But the older man never expected the rambunctious teenager to run off to England. So the father in him had to ask, "You're going to England without your Pa's permission? I don't know if I can let you do that."
The tall Texan dismounted and walked up the man and looked down a bit at him with her cold hard stare and said, "Mr. Conrad, my Pa hasn't had a say in wat I done since I was ten. I goes my own way and he loves me fer it. Iffin I go to England, he'll know about it, but only after I've left. Not cause I'm afraid he won't let me, it's cause he don't need to let me. I do what I wont when I wont and don't ask permission nor forgiveness. Iffin y'all think y'all kin stop me, then have a go at it."
The older man was no match for this wild Injun. A man has to know his limitations and stopping this young woman from doing anything was one of those limitations, so he replied, "I had to ask. What kind of father would I be if I didn't at least consider another father's feelings."
Jane smiled and placed her hand gently on his shoulder, "Mr. Conrad, we grow up fast war I come from and I knows yourn can be children a lot longer than I could, so don't worry about me. I kin take car of myself. Wat I need from y'all is a letter that talls them in Nawlins that I'm Jane Rizzoli. I knows Maura's done told y'all to give me any hep I needs. I needs a boat to England."
Joseph Conrad was in a dilemma. He knew the right thing to do was to refuse to give this teenager a letter that would allow her to go thousands of miles away from her family on a whim. Yet, he knew that no matter what he did this determined Texan would go without the letter and maybe get in the wrong crowd to do what she wanted to do. So, the large man did what he had to do, he wrote the letter.
The brash young hunter said, "Thanks fer the letter. Now I gots a couple of wagons of salt beef comin up the trail from San Antone. Y'all gonna meet Mustang Korsak, he's my pa's foreman. Tell 'em wat I'm adoin and he'll tell my pa. I figure he's agoin to have at least 10 barrels of salted beef. So, iffin y'all take my word fer it, I'd likes to git $300 in advance on that beef. Iffin I'm wrong on the count, I'll make it up to y'all wen I gets back."
The older man took out a pouch of coins and counted out 15 gold eagles. Then the savvy businessman counted out 15 more and said, "Here's $600. I'll take what beef there is and take off the rest on the next shipment. I jest need you to sign a receipt for the money, so your man knows I gave ya the money."
The young woman took the money and put the coins in her own purse. Then the bright young lady asked, "I guess I'm going to need those two chests. I'm going to go to the livery and get a pack animal for them. When I get back I'm going to want to load them on that animal and head for New Or-leans. I figure to trade and barter for fresh animals along the way."
The conflicted tradesman nodded his consent and then went to check to see when the next Isles ship was leaving New Orleans.
***SE***
Maura was getting ready for Christmas. Christmas in Swansea was a gigantic affair, when the entire town and all the towns nearby were invited to the Isles Estate for a Christmas dinner. Gifts were given to every child that attended. At this very minute, the servants were busy wrapping boys and girls presents for ages newborn to 14.
Dresses were given to the girls, suits for the boys and stockings for them all, filled with candy, small toys, fruit and nuts. The clothing was both Christian kindness and self-serving. By giving out proper clothing to the children each year, parents could concentrate on feeding and housing their children, which relieved some of the burden from the adults and making them better and more productive workers.
Isles factories, farms and mills all produced more products with less discontent than any such businesses in England. Today, Maura was checking the bills and invoices to insure everything would go smoothly tomorrow night. Everything had to go without any difficulty, the young heiress was in the midst of arranging a directors meeting and the young noblewoman could show no weakness.
The young woman was arranging the meeting, planning Christmas and reading her latest sack of Texas mail. Today was going to be a long day for the honey blonde pre-teen, but it was starting well. While examining bills of lading and invoices, the Lady Isles was eating her favorite breakfast of trail bread and maple syrup. Whenever the young woman ate breakfast, it reminded her of the young Texan who showed her chef how to make it.
Though the gay young Lady had already set Jane two more of her completed diaries, the thoughtful heiress was sending her Texas friend several Christmas presents. The pamper noblewoman had hand wrapped each gift and had written a small not for each gift.
The blonde pre-teen asked three servants to count all the boys gifts and three other servants to count all the girl's gifts. This way there would be no mistakes. Each gift was wrapped in golden paper with a sprig of holly on each gift fasten with a needle. The needle was an additional gift to the household, as needles and pins were very important and hard to afford.
On each gift, were the child's name and age to validate the identity of the gift. After the presents were counted, the list of children was checked against the names on the gifts. Again this was to insure accuracy. Every gift would be given by the Lady Maura personally.
The prim and proper young businesswoman consumed another piece of trail toast and was working on the sausage. The sausage was fresh from a tenet farmer in lieu of rent. Many of her tenets couldn't pay their rent and taxes with money, so most of her tenets worked on a barter system.
Just as the young woman finished her breakfast a servant ran into the dining room panting, "Lady, there is a problem with the lighting. Some of the torches are not working, Mr. Michael needs you."
The new Lady sighed. It was one thing to be the princess, but it was another to be the queen. All Maura could think of, was how it was going to be a very long day.
***SE***
A tall rider riding a large roan and leading a pack horse with a large truck lashed to it came into on Christmas Eve. When the rider got closer, the blacksmith noticed the rider was a female. The rider rode like she had been borne to the handle a horse, so she wasn't just some woman who got it into her head to for a ride.
The large muscular man put down his hammer and picked up his rifle. He walked up to entrance to his barn and work area and said, "Morning, can I hep ya?"
The cautious Texan stopped about twenty feet from the man and said, "Mister, I'm headed ta Nawlins and 'd like ta swap out horses. Mine ere played out."
The brawny blacksmith said, "Well, you've come to the rat place, Little Lady. I kin hep ya. I have a sorrel and a mule that would trade for yourn."
The experienced horse trader smiled and replied, "Mister, y'all must think I just dropped off the turnip truck. Cause a sorrel and a mule for my roan and my draft horse is a steal. Now, iffin y'all were to make that two mules and their packs, we might have a deal."
The giant of a man laughed and said, "Light and set. We kin jaw a bit over some coffee. My misses mightent even have a cake we kin gnaw on."
The careful fighter turned her horse so she could dismount with the roan between them. Once down, the savvy Indian fighter moved to the back of her mount to keep her horses in the way of any trouble. The strapping blacksmith laughed, "Y'all ere the cautious one."
Jane responded, "I'm alive."
***SE***
Young Lady Isles spent the rest of the day arranging the banquet and the decoration of the hall. The intelligent young woman sent two of her male servants to find a fine pine tree and cut it down for a Christmas tree.
Finally, with all the tasks designated and all the preparations made the vibrate young woman made her way to her room to write in her latest Jane diary. The staff watched their young miss walked to her room and many silently prayed for her happiness, because they knew the young Lady was not happy. Her loneliness filled the manor with sadness.
The young miss's mother didn't see it, because she was too happy in the arms of her French lover. The father, who did see it, is gone. Now, the young noblewoman walked around doing what was needed without any regard for her own well-being.
From the stairway, Bridgette watched her friend and Lady ascend the stairs and knew her destination. How long could letters be enough to heal the loneliness? The saucy young maid wished she could soothe her Lady's loneliness, but knew that only the wild American could do that.
Georgina watched her Lady from the top of the stairs. The efficient young maid had just finished cleaning her Lady's bedroom and had cleaned up the spilled ink and soiled napkin that been used to hide the spatter. The sympathetic young woman knew her young charge had tossed that bottle in frustration last night and hoped that her best friend could find some solace in Christmas.
***SE***
In the end, Jane traded her fine roan and draft horse for an older sorrel, two mules and an old Hawkins rifle. The wily Texan knew she had gotten the better of the deal, but didn't lord it over the man. After all the blacksmith was at a disadvantage; he was seeing a pretty young girl and not the hardened Indian fighter that was Jane Rizzoli.
Not wanting to waste any time in getting to Maura, the experienced traveler left before sunrise. The blacksmith had been kind enough to let her sleep in his spare bedroom. It seems his daughter had just married and he and wife were alone in the big house. The older woman had doted on the young teenager and insisted on packing the veteran trekker a sack of cooked goods.
***SE***
Maura rose to a fine crisp winter morning with a lot of snow on the ground and ice on the windows. As the weather went, it was a perfect Christmas day. However, it was a Christmas without the two people who meant the most to her, Jane and her loving father.
The honey blonde heiress had spent the night writing in her Jane diary, telling her friend about her loneliness and heart ache. She wrote about her lack of friends and of all the enemies trying to take away her birthright. For the third night in a row, the sad young woman cried herself to sleep.
Yes, it was a beautiful morning, but the beauty only hid the sorrow and emptiness that had entered Maura's young heart.
***SE***
As the veteran hunter rode toward her destination, she came across two hares fighting for some wild carrots. The experience huntswoman was never one to look providence in the mouth and saw fresh meat. The quick killer drew her Le Mat smoothly and shot both animals through the head, not wanting to destroy the meat or ruin a good pelt.
***SE***
The hall was decorated with sprigs of holly, mistletoe and Christmas flowers of all kinds and description. Ribbons, bows and tassels spun a web of beauty to every corner of the great room and dominating the room was the giant fifteen foot Christmas tree, freshly cut from neighboring woods.
Lady Constance and the staff had decorated the lovely tree with garland, colored flowers, hand painted dolls and soldiers and with candles…hundreds and hundreds of candles. Anyone entering the hall would think they had entered the fairy kingdom.
The Christmas banquet was about to start and Maura had to give the welcoming speech, "Hello, everyone. My father started this tradition when I was in swaddling clothes. Now, he is gone. May God have mercy on his soul. He would be so pleased to see that we keep up his tradition. In the past, it was his pleasure to pass out the Christmas gifts to the children. Tonight, it is my honor to take his place in this ritual and give to each child a gift from our hearts here at Isles Manor.
I asked my mother if she wanted the honor, but she said that she was just an agent for the real Lady Isles and that Lady Isles should give out the gifts. Though my age keeps the title from me legally, in my heart and in my soul, I am your Lady and will die to keep that privilege. So no further ado, I call out the first name.
Maura pulled a present from under the tree and read the first name, "Timothy Seacourt, age 12."
***SE***
Zach Hebert was putting his three cows into the barn for the night. He worked his farm even on Christmas day. He was a good Catholic and had taken mass and communion at sunrise, but God understood that winter was coming and the crops had been poor this year. The weather had been too dry for his rice crop and if things didn't go well with the winter trapping, fishing and eeling; then his family would be going hungry this year.
The nearly thirty year old Cajun had a sixty acre farm outside of Lake Charles, Louisiana of which only twenty was cultivatable. The rest was marsh and draining it was too costly. The dark haired, brown eyed man with sun dried tanned skin watch an approaching rider. The normally cautious man cursed himself for a fool for forgetting his shotgun inside the house.
The hard working farmer hadn't expected anyone traveling Christmas day and therefore hadn't expected an unexpected visitor. The shadowy figure called in a somewhat female voice, "Hullo, the house."
Right on cue, his misses came through the door holding his shotgun with his pistol belted to her hip. The stranger shouted, "I've come peaceful, ma'am, but iffin I weren't y'all be two kinds of dead. Word of advice ma'am; never silhouette yourself in a lit doorway. Y'all should have put the light out first. Now, y'all kin give your man his guns. I'll wait rat cheer."
The curious woman squinted her eyes to see if she could see who was talking, but the figure remained safely within the shadows. Slowly and cautiously the married woman approached her husband with her shotgun firmly trained on the talking stranger.
When the older woman reached her husband, Zach took the shotgun from her and told her to return to the house. The frightened farmer turned his shotgun onto the obscure outline in the distance. The tired farmer said wearily, "Who ere ya?"
The indistinct figure called out, "My name is Jane Rizzoli and I'm headed ta Nawlins. I was just wondering iffin I could bother y'all fer a meal. I kin pay."
The suspicious planter asked, "How do I knows I kin trust ya?"
The voice in the darkness laughed and said truthfully, "Mister, iffin I war a mind of killin y'all, y'all be dead. I let y'all get situated. Iffin I intended harm, y'd notta had that chance."
The cynical farmer saw the wisdom in her answer and said, "Wal, yar awelcome to wat we've got fer dinner. It ain't much wit the crop being so poor and all, but y'all ere swelcome to her and fer no pay. I ain't ever turned nobody away hungry iffin I could do otherwise. I jest didn't expect nobody atravelin on Christmas day."
The rider left the shadow and rode confidently into the yard with her rifle in it sheath and her pistols in their holsters. The loop was off her pistol on her hip, but the farmer didn't understand the significance of this action. As was the rider's custom, she dismounted with the horse between her and that shotgun.
The hard-boiled farmer could see that the rider was no more than a girl, a tall girl, but a girl. So, he asked, "Child, does ya family knowed ya to be travelin?"
The tough Texan answered, "Mister, I ain't no child. War I come from y'all ain't a child after your tenth birthday. I be fourteen soon to be fifteen. I's kilt every kind of critter and man there is. I's kilt Injuns, white men and Mexicans. I've hunted buffalo wit the Comanche and 've been ta the White House and met the President of these here United States. I make my own way and my pa knows it."
The sentimental man had a soft spot for children and women and this rider was both, so he couldn't let it go without further comment, "No disrespect, but why ere ya out on Christmas night?"
Jane not wanting to hurt the man's feelings said, "Mister, I won't pry in y'all bidness iffin y'all don't pry in mine. Jest, let it be that I's got a friend in need and I'm agoin to hep her."
Zach Hebert was a good Christian and he knew that Bible told us to help one another. How could he argue against the Bible? So, the good Catholic said, "Wal, iffin ya wont, ya kin sleep in the barn. I'd let ya sleep inside, but we ain't got much room."
The tall Texan smiled and said, "Mister, I've slept in worse. It's real kind of y'all to let me sleep out of the weather. It be getting chilly and I dint bring no blankets other than my roll."
So, while the farmer told his wife about their company, the unruly young woman unsaddled her horse and unpacked her two mules. The barn was warn and snug. The man built well, no chinks for the wind to cut through in this barn. However, the observant teenager noticed the lack of good farm animals. While, the man had three cows, there was no bull or horses. The planter had only a few scrawny chickens and nary a rooster in sight.
The kindly Italian took a gold piece, the bag of cooked goods and the two rabbit carcasses from her mule pack and walked to the house. Christmas was a time for sharing and the young warrior knew she had a lot to share.
***SE***
When Maura called out the last name, she saw a young girl sit quietly with tears running down her cheeks. The young heiress signaled to Georgina to come to her. The efficient servant hurried to her Lady to inquire as to her needs. When the young maid arrived, the honey blonde businesswoman asked, "Why is that child crying?"
Georgina looked to the girl and noticed the child had no present, so the sharp servant answered, "Milady, she has no gift. I'll see why."
The young Frenchwoman hurried to where the young girl was seated and talked to an adult sitting next to her. After a moment of conversation, Georgina returned and said, "Milady, the child's name is Tina and she has come to live with her aunt and uncle. Her parents died of influenza last month. Her aunt and uncle are her only living relatives. They had told the child not to expect anything as she just got here, but it's hard on a child that others got presents and she received none."
Maura understood more than the others how it was to lose a parent. The loss of her beloved father was still fresh in her heart. So the tender-hearted heiress told her maid, "Georgie, go get one of my old house dresses and one of my old evening gowns and send Bridgette to me."
A knowing smile crossed the young servant's face as she rushed off to do as she was instructed. In moments, her other friend and maid came and the young heiress ordered, "Bridgette go to the kitchen and get a fresh pie and a sack of ginger cookies."
The second servant rushed off to obey her Lady. The vital young Lady looked upon the crowd and said kindly, "It warms my heart to see the love and respect of my tenets. It has been a difficult year with the bad harvest and loss of my father, but we will be starting a new year in just seven more days. I pray that 1851 is better than 1850 has been.
I have also noticed we have a new family member. You see, I think of us as a large family. I understand that Tina has lost her parents as I have lost my father. I know the pain that losing a parent can cause. I can only guess at the difficulty in losing two.
Tina, I am sorry that you did not receive a gift. It is my oversight and I am so sorry. So, I have something that I hope will make up for that oversight."
At that moment, Georgina came into the hall caring a lovely house dress, the kind that ladies of fashion wore around the house for comfort and a golden evening dress with green trim and embroidered flowers. Maura had worn that dress to a formal dinner just days before and she never wore the same dress twice, it was fitting that this lonely child benefit from her extravagance.
The honey blonde heiress took the dresses from her maid and held them out to the young child, as she said, "Take these and tomorrow come to the Manor and my seamstress will fit them for you."
At that point, Bridgette entered with a fresh blueberry pie and a hot sack of fresh ginger cookies. Maura took them from her friend and maid and said to Tina, "I know you didn't receive a stocking, so I hope this pie and these cookies will suffice. Tomorrow when you come to get your dresses fitted, I will make sure that you receive some fruit and nuts for the winter to come."
All the tenets in the Manor; stood and cheered their Lady. Lady Constance beamed with pride at the kindness and generosity of her daughter.
***SE***
Jane entered the warm home to the smell of fresh greens. Fresh greens were always a luxury on the range. Meat, beans and potatoes were plentiful, but fresh greens were only available at the ranch house and not on the range.
The observant hunter saw the small loaf of bread and the even smaller bowl of butter on the table and knew that this family was in need. There were two boys about eight and six as well as a two or three year old girl.
Without any fanfare or speech, the kindly Texan put her two hares and sack of cooked goods on the table. The smiling teenager opened the gunny sack and took a cold smoked ham from it. Next she slowly removed two loaves of day old bread. Then, the theatrical young woman pulled a whole chocolate cake from the bag. Finally, the smirking Italian removed a sack of sugar cookies.
The self conscious farmer said, "Miss, we invited cha and ya bring the meal. That hardly seems rat."
The grin disappeared from her face as she said, "Mister, y'all opened y'all's house fer me on Christmas day. It'd be Unchristian of me to not bring some gifts on this holy day. I's a good Catholic girl and my pa'd tan my hide iffin I dint return y'all's kindness and done my best to respect the Christmas spirit.
Now, iffin y'all don't mind I'd like to clean up a mite. While I'm adoin that maybe y'all kin cook up those rabbits and heat up the ham and bread, then we kin celebrate the Lord's birthday proper-like."
The grateful man smiled and slapped the hard young woman firmly on her back. Jane didn't even finch. The strong farmer marveled at the strength of this sleek young woman and said, "The wash pan is out back. There's a outhouse just beyond, iffin y'all need it. I'll get ya some soap. Marge jest made a fresh batch two days ago and it still gots some softness."
While Jane poured the water, the older man came out with some still hardening lye soap. It was perfect for removing several layers of trail dust from the young woman's hands and face. Using her hands as a brush, the wild Texan did the best she could to tame her curly dark black hair.
When the kind Italian returned, she was greeted by the smell of simmering ham, roasting rabbit and toasting bread. With the fresh greens and some sugar cookies, the young Texan felt that this was going to be a pretty good Christmas. The only thing missing was Maura and that thought made her smile vanish.
***SE***
Maura was there when Tina arrived to have her new dresses fitted. Only the child tried to return the gown saying, "Milady, when would I have need of such a gown."
The kindly heiress replied, "That sounds like your aunt and uncle talking. I know every young woman dreams of having one fine gown, if only to dream of using it. However, I promise you that you will have need of that gown very soon. You have my word as a Lady and noblewoman of the Realm."
With that said, the honey blonde pre-teen presented the child with a large wicker basket filled with fresh fruit and dried nuts. Maura said, "Take these child and when you eat them remember me and know that you have a kinsman in sorrow. We have both lost so much and we can both share in our loss."
Bridgette led the child away and was taking her Sophie for her fitting, when the young red-haired girl asked, "Why is the Lady so kind to me?"
Bridgette stopped and lowered herself to the honest girl's level and replied, "Lady Maura is the kindest person I know. She would never allow another soul to suffer, if she could stop it. She also sees herself in you. She loved her father dearly and he is gone. Her mother is nice, but not very giving to her daughter. My Lady is very lonely and misses the one person she loves. Her love is in America and they only write one another. It takes many months for them to exchange letters. Milady desperately wants her heart to come and see her, but knows that it is not going to happen. The Lady Maura would love to go to America and visit, but right now, she has too many responsibilities to leave. All this makes her very sad."
The innocent child asked earnestly, "Is there nothing I can do to help such a kind and great Lady?"
The canny French maid thought for a moment and answered, "I think there is. Why don't you come to dinner tonight and bring the Lady some flowers. I think that would make her feel much better."
With that the pair went to visit the seamstress.
***SE***
Jane was not able to leave the next morning as she planned. A storm had swept up from the south. The local farmer told her it was a small hurricane. He had been through two others in his life and knew you had to get to shelter. His cabin was well built and could withstand most storms, so the young Texan was forced to stay one more day.
This storm was very late. Hurricanes rarely hit later than October, but the hurricane of 1850 hit on the day following Christmas. The strong storm hit several mile west of Lake Charles around Orange, Texas. However, they were feeling the strong outer bands of the storm.
The storm lasted for several hours and when it had blown itself out, the cautious Texan and frightened farmer guardedly left the safety of the house. A few shingles and some of the barn roof were damaged, but on the whole the farm fared pretty well. It was fortunate that the storm had landed so far to the west.
In the light of day, Jane noticed something very familiar to her in the marshland near the Hebert farm. Tentatively, the sharp businesswoman asked, "How do y'all make this land pay fer itself?"
The proud farmer answered, "Well, I raise rice on the twenty acres I've managed to clear, but I've got forty more acres of marshland. From that I trap and eel in the winter. I sell the furs. I also fish and hunt. Whycha ask?"
The canny Texan smiled, "Mister Hebert, I know how y'all kin make some extry money. You see that cane over yonder."
The inquisitive planter replied, "Yeah, it's all over the place."
The wily Italian winked and said, "Mister, that thar is a gold mine. That's sugar cane. I mill it in Texas and sell the sugar to rum makers. Re-fined sugar brings in ten to twelve cents a pound. Do y'all's neighbors have cane on thar land?"
The astute landowner smiled, "They shore do."
The bright brunette always open to making money said, "Y'all gather all the cane y'all kin and I'll make shore it gets re-fined and I'll split the sugar with y'all fifty-fifty. Do y'all know hows to build a grinding mill?"
The crafty builder responded, "I should smile. My pappy and pappy's pappy were builders and they taught me. I kin build anythin."
The young woman went to her saddle bags and returned with five gold eagles and handed to the man saying, "I wont y'all to build that grinding mill and I'll gets a sugar maker to come and finish the factry fer y'all. Then, you get to making that thar sugar. Iffin y'all smart, start buying up all the cane y'all kin at a quarter penny a bushel. It takes several bushel of can to make a pound of sugar.
Like I said, I'm puttin up the seed money and gettin y'all a sugar maker. Y'all do the cuttin, buyin, and building. Then we split fifty-fifty. Do we-ins have a deal?"
The smart man held out his hand, which the smarter woman shook.
***SE***
At 6:30, Tina arrived wearing her Sunday dress with a bouquet of freshly cut flowers. It was the height of winter and it took the child all day to find the few scraggly flowers in her small hands. But the young girl was proud of what her accomplishment.
Tina was six years old with red hair and golden brown eyes that shone in the moonlight. Her aunt and uncle didn't believe the young child when she told them she had been invited to dinner until Bridgette arrived in the Lady's coach to retrieve the child for dinner.
The old couple had been tenets on this land for many years. The Lady was their fourth landholder and they hoped she would be their last. The elderly pair was really the child's great aunt and great uncle. The aunt's deceased sister was the child's grandmother. Their children had all died before they were ten.
Seven children all died and buried. The couple was too old to be raising another child and they feared to love another child they might be forced to bury. So, the young girl was doomed to live with unloving old people, who resented her life, when their children had none.
Bridgette and Georgina had found all this out during the day. They were hopeful that this lonely young girl could help their lonely Lady find some happiness. The bright young girl walked shyly into the main dining room with her bouquet of winter flowers.
Maura noticed the young girl and exclaimed, "My, what a wonderful surprise! Mother, we have a guest for dinner."
Lady Constance entered the brightly lit room and smiled at the lovely young girl with the small bouquet in her delicate hands and asked, "Why are you here child?"
The confused youngster stammered incoherently and Bridgette interjected, "The young miss asked if there was any way she could help Lady Maura smile and I suggested she come to dinner with some flowers. I hope I didn't overstep my bounds."
The older lady shouted, "Nonsense! Such a lovely bouquet is worthy of a meal. Maura, you have an admirer."
The shy young lady stepped tentatively forward until she reached the lovely heiress and presented her few flowers. Maura took them reverently and said, "Thank you. Come and sit by me."
***SE***
Jane had made only a few miles before the light was going. The constant rain and dark clouds had inhibited her traveling, but just as the weather was clearing the further east she got, nightfall was closing in. The tough Texan, used to weather and poor conditions pushed on until, she reached the small town of Lake Charles.
The frontier town had one thing that was most welcome to the young traveler. The small collection of buildings had a hotel. The wet young woman approached the desk clerk and asked, "Do y'all have a room?"
The lazy clerk yawned, "Iffin, y'all got fifty cents, I have a room."
The weary Italian put five dimes on the desk and said, "I'll take a room and a bath iffin y'all got one."
The bored man responded, "A bath's twenty cents. I'll get the maid to bring y'all a tub and hot water. For another quarter, I kin have her bring y'all a hot meal. I thinks we-ins got chicken and dumplings wit cornbread tonight."
The tired traveler put down five more dimes and stated, "I wont a pot of tea wit that food. I'm chilled to the bone and need some heatin up."
The wary older man noticed the rifle causally cradled in her arms and the four hand guns strategically placed on her person. The veteran hotel clerk knew a tough customer when he saw one and figured this was some young cowhand on his way to New Orleans to let off some steam. He failed to notice though the trail mud and heavy coat that the cowboy was really a cowgirl.
When the hardened cowhand left and walked wearily up the stairs to her room, the wily clerk, knowing a hand with some extra cash, motioned for his oldest daughter to come over. The conniving man ordered, "Girl, we-ins got ourselves a flush one. Y'all gets a tub and some hot water up to his room. Then y'all get over to Annie's and get him a plate of dumplings and a pot of tea. After that I wont y'all to get him to drinking and fornicating. After he passes out, call me and we-ins'll strip him of everythin and dump him in the marsh. The gators'll do the rest."
***SE***
Tina used her best manners in the fine Manor with the fine china and silverware, but the young girl could see from the manners of Lady Maura, hers were lacking. The youngster next tactic was to imitate the polite heiress's every move. The movements were not lost on the maids or the two Ladies.
The women chuckled to themselves as the young child did her best to mimic her new idol. Maura felt a warmth, she had not felt in months for the actions of the youngster and motioned for Bridgette to come to her side. When Bridgette leaned over to hear her Lady's whisper, she heard, "Thank you. Find out what you can about this child's plight."
Bridgette smiled. Georgina and she had already completed their investigation of the young girl. They would tell their Lady about the child tonight after diner and before she did her nightly writing. Their hope was that the child would make the writing less maudlin and more Maura.
***SE***
While the young maid was getting Jane her dinner, the filthy Texan stripped her muddy boots and clothes. Before the careful Italian poured the six buckets of steaming water into the tub, she took one of her pistols and placed it under one of the towels. As the weary warrior slipped into the scalding tub, a sigh escaped her lips.
The hot water puckered and reddened her legs as the tough cowhand eased herself into the tub. As the tired traveler started scrubbing the day's mud off her body, the efficient maid entered the room using the spare key. The expert hunter was washing the mud from her long curly hair when she called out from behind the room separator, "Thank y'all. Thar be a dime on the table fer y'all."
The confused maid picked up the coin and wondered at the age of the cowhand, because it didn't sound like his voice had changed yet. In an effort to get the show moving, the clerk's daughter asked, "Kin I getcha some whiskey or sometin?"
The wary Texan didn't drink while traveling alone or in the presence of strangers. The young woman was not very trusting of folks in general and strangers in particular. So, the experience journeyman replied, "No thanks, I don't drink."
Not sure of what to do next, the young maid put her head around the room screen to smile suggestively at the stranger, only to see a young woman washing her hair. The maid yelped and Jane pulled and cocked her pistol as she shouted, "Get y'all's ass out of my room. Y'all ain't my type."
The young woman ran from the room and down the stairs to tell her father, what she had seen.
***SE***
Georgina started the conversation in her Lady's bedroom, "Milady, Tina is the great niece of Edna Van Winkle and her husband Albert. Albert is Dutch and Edna is Welch. Her sister was Tina's grandmother and Tina's mother's aunt. Tina's father is Irish and has no known relatives, which is not unusual for the Irish as many have had to change their names for safety.
The Van Winkles had six children, all of whom had died before their tenth year. Hence they are really not happy to have another possible heartbreak in their home, but what could they do. They are too old to be raising such a bright and young girl. The couple has tried on more than one occasion unsuccessfully to give the girl to someone else to raise."
Bridgette continued, "Several of their neighbors have heard the child crying in the night and on more than one occasion they have heard the Van Winkles yelling at and cursing the child. Once one of the town constables saw bruises on Tina's face, but she said she had fallen out of a tree.
Milady, that poor girl needs someone to look after her. Georgina and I have talked about it and would like to take her in. We will take care of her and you don't have to know she's around. We just can't sit by and let those awful people hurt the child."
Maura chastised her young friend by saying, "They are not awful people. An awful person would not have taken the child at all. However, they are not equipped to take care of a cat much less a child. Tomorrow, I want you both to go and get the child. I will pay the Van Winkles an indemnity and have the courts appoint me the child's guardian."
The two sisters smiled. It had all gone according to plan.
***SE***
After the maid had fled the room, the weary Texan got of her tub with her pistol in hand and padded across the room to locked her door. The careful young woman pushed a chair under the door knob. The wily Italian had no idea how many keys there were to this room.
Spotting the hot food and pot of tea, the wet young lady rushed to dry herself and change into clean dry clothing. After wolfing down her food and pouring the hot tea down her gullet, the tough cowhand felt warm and human again. Taking her gun belts from the bed post, the veteran warrior donned her guns and took her rifle for the trek downstairs.
Once downstairs, the experienced fighter walked up to the clerk and demanded, "Get somebody to check on my mounts at the stable. Then get me a maid, who doesn't want to roll me. One more thang, iffin sometin else happens while I'm asleepin, I ain't complainin, I'm ashootin. Do y'all understand me?"
The clerk swallowed hard and nodded. He sent his youngest daughter, who was still a virgin and totally innocent in the ways of men. The young girl knocked on the door, which Jane answered, "I wont to get my clothes cleaned before daylight."
The shy girl nodded and replied, "I'll do it myself."
Jane nodded and closed the door, while thinking, 'Now thar's a sweet child."
***SE***
The next day Tina became the latest member of the Isles household. Maura sat the child down and asked her sincerely, "Do you wish to become my ward?"
The baffled child queried, "What's a ward?"
The patient heiress answered, "A ward is a person of who is taken care by another person. In this case, I would be taking care of you. I would be your guardian and you would be my ward. I would see to it, you went to school and was well clothed and feed. I would take care of you, so that no one would ever hurt you again."
The still perplexed child inquired, "Would you be my mother?"
The honey blonde pre-teen didn't want to overstep her bounds, so she replied, "No one can replace your mother, but I will try and make your life happier."
The young redhead smiled and responded, "Thank you, but can I call your mother? I do so want a mother."
Maura wiped a tear from her eye and held out her arms for the child to share an embrace, as she whispered, "You may call me anything you wish, Tina."
***SE***
Jane left well before dawn. During the night her clothes freshly washed, but still damped appeared at her door. When the tall Texan had reached the front desk, the hotel owner was at the front desk. Jane held up a fifty cent piece and said, "This be fer the young woman, who cleaned my clothes last night. She were about twelve wit golden hair and a quiet smile."
The hotel owner smiled and said, "That would be Melody. Her father is my brother-in-law. My sister died and now I'm doing my best for my nieces."
The wary Italian responded, "I'm not shore, but I think he tried to have an older girl, brunette with cold blue eyes, try to roll me last night."
The puzzled hotel owner asked, "Why would he think he could get his daughter to roll a lovely young woman like yourself?"
The canny brunette answered, "Cause when I came in last night, I were full of mud and had my rain slicker on. I don't think he could tell I were a woman."
The hotel owner nodded and said, "I'll take care of it and I'll see that Melody gets her money."
When Jane got to the barn to get her mounts, she found Melody petting her sorrel and talking to him, "Do y'all think she'll take me to my cousin in Nawlins? I needs to get out of cheer afore my paw has me doin bad thins."
The dark Texan cleared her throat and asked, "Y'all always talk to horses?"
The startled young woman stammered, "They listen better than people."
The tough brunette laughed as she replied, "Y'all rat about that. So, y'all want a ride to Nawlins. Y'all got a cousin thar for shore?"
The innocent blonde responded, "Yes, my cousin Lucille has a boarding house west of the City in Carrollton."
The wary Italian didn't like the girl's father and knew he had already ruined one daughter and she couldn't let him taint another. So the experience cowhand took the load off one of the mules and transferred it to the other. Then the veteran horsewoman put a blanket on the mule's back and helped the young blonde mount the animal.
Jane leaped into her saddle, winked at the young woman and said, "Let's go."
***SE***
Isles Manor was hosting the annual New Year's Ball. Every December 31st, the Isles family hosted a ball to celebrate the coming year. This year was no different. Every nobleman and woman was invited and most accepted instantly. Other than the Queen's Ball, this was the event to attend.
Maura true to her word was dressing her new ward in her first ball gown. The child was so excited that the staff had been unable to calm her enough to complete her attire. With Bridgette's and Georgina's help, the new 'mother' managed to get the anxious child dressed.
Lady Constance entered Tina's new bedroom and examined the lovely girl with a critical eye. When she smiled her approval, the older Lady said, "Tina, you look so lovely. I remember the Maura's first ball. You look much more relaxed."
Maura laughed, "You know why, Mother. I did not want to go. I would have rather stayed in my room reading. Tina wants to go. Is that not right, child?"
Tina smiled and replied, "Yes, Mother Maura, I do so want to go. I want to dance and eat cake."
The statuesque brunette laughed heartily at the child's frankness and responded, "Then, we must hurry. The guests are starting to arrive and we must be in line to greet them."
The happy redhead giggled, "Yes, Mother Constance, we mustn't keep our guests waiting."
The small girl took her skirts and lifted chin and walked regally out of her room with four older women laughing behind her.
***SE***
Jane rode into the outskirts of the Carrollton district and asked her young charge, "Do y'all know war y'all's cousin lives?"
Melody nodded and handed the tough cowhand a folded envelop with a return address. The pair stopped an apple vendor on the street and asked for directions. The startled vendor said, "This is a red light house. Why'd such innocent girls like ya wont to go to place like that."
The tall Texan saw the shocked look on her friend's face and asked, "Y'all shore about that? My friend's cousin says that's her boardinhouse."
The man nodded and replied, "It is a boardinhouse. Only it boards whores."
Jane purchased two apples and handed one to her young friend and said, "Come wit me. We're agoin to St. Charles Avenue. I gots bidness thar."
The pair rode up to the address of Isles Shipping and dismounted. Jane called for a negro boy and paid a dollar for him to watch her mounts and their belongings. The worldly Texan trusted very few people and none of them were around here.
The dusty women entered the large office building and went to the front desk. The bold Italian said, "I'm Jane Rizzoli. I'm cheer to see Daniel Trosclair."
The man at the front desk wore a blue uniform much like a soldier or a doorman. He laughed, "Shore, yar the infamous Jane Rizzoli. Get out of cheer girl before I gets mean."
The veteran scrapper pulled her toothpick and shoved it under the amazed man's chin. Jane said quietly and evenly, "Mister, I jest rode fer two weeks to get cheer, so I'm runnin short of patience cheer. So iffin y'all want to keep y'all's hair, then I'd be gettin Mr. Trosclair."
The frightened man ran the bell twice at this station, unwilling to move too quickly while the knife's point was biting into her chin. After about a minute, a short weather beaten man in an expensive suit entered the greeting area. The graying man looked uncomfortable in his suit, like he was not used to it. When he spotted the knife piercing his greeter's chin, he asked, "Could you kindly remove the knife from Nat's chin and tell me what's going on."
Sliding the knife point gently along the curvature of the man's chin, the dark Texan replied, "My name's Jane Rizzoli and I'm cheer ta go ta England."
The well dressed outdoorsman inquired, "Was it necessary to hold Nat at knife point?"
The tough young woman shrugged her shoulders and answered, "He dint believe my name and threatened to do me harm. So, I had to show him my bonefidees."
Jane pulled her letter of introduction from her coat pocket and handed it to the former sea captain. The weather worn man read the letter and stated, "Well, I'll be damned. So, you're Jane Rizzoli. I have standing orders to give ya anything ya want."
Taking back her letter, the weary warrior said, "I wont two tickets to England and a hundred English pounds. I'll pay y'all in sugar when I gets back. Oh and I almost forgot, I need y'all to send a sugar maker to a friend of mine west of Lake Charles. He's startin a mill."
The veteran sea captain shook his head and smiled, "Well, let's go to my office so I get the particulars."
***SE***
By New Year's Day, Jane and Melody were on an Isles ship headed to Swansea. Captain Prescott had just made port with two more diaries. When he heard that Jane wanted to go to England, he volunteered to go back on the next tide. His cargo was quickly unloaded and his stores were even more quickly replenished.
Jane had had just enough time to get the recommended special stores, so as not to burden the crew's rations. The wily Texan had purchased ten hens and a rooster, three live steers, five pigs, three turkeys, ten pounds of coffee, three tins of tea, twenty tins of saltine crackers, ten pints of preserves, five cases of canned beans, three cases of canned potatoes, three cases of canned peaches, ten cases of canned pork and two cases of canned sardines. The smart businesswoman sent her horse and mules back with the sugar maker as a gift for her new partner.
In addition to her trunk of clothes and small box of jewelry, the lovely Italian had her three sets of buckskins, two rifles, six pistols and four knives. The careful teenager had two kegs of black powder, ten bars of lead, one hundred cartridges for pistols, a bullet mold, two cleaning kits and two powder horns.
Melody really didn't want to go to England, but she couldn't think of what else to do. Her cousin had deceived her. It seems the woman had become a madam and was trying to get her virgin cousin to come so as to take advantage of her. It was sad, but common tale. The twelve year old didn't really have enough clothing for the trip, so Jane bought the young girl a used trunk, five dresses off the rack, ten pair of stockings, ten pair of bloomers and two pairs of shoes.
The veteran Indian fighter, toughest cowhand in West Texas and best rider in the West got seasick. The poor girl spent the first six days throwing up her meals over the side of the ship. Captain Prescott joked and teased the girl, who had once held him at knife point. Melody, on the other hand, took to sea life like she was born to it.
The men treated the twelve year old like a long lost sister, while she mended their clothes and cooked their meals. Their regular cook was okay, but Melody was an artist in the kitchen. The young woman made salted beef, potatoes, carrots and peas into a magnificent meal.
Jane was still having difficulties, when pirates came with a cure. For several months, now, pirates had been raiding shipping off the Cuban coast. Captain Prescott had managed to avoid trouble with them for over year, but now they had caught his scent and were trying to catch him.
The pirates had three ships, which were faster and between them better armed. The captain told Jane, "Miss Rizzoli, I don't think I'll be able to shake these ships. They be gainin on us every hour. Soon, they'll be able to fire on us with their nine inchers. I wont to skirt the coast and drop you and Miss Melody off in Cuba. There ya kin catch a ship outta Havana."
Jane moaned, "Show me."
As they left their cabin, Jane took her .70 caliber Sharps, powder horns and sack of balls with her. The wily captain pointed at the three ships about a mile behind them. Jane knelt and tossed some dust into the air. Then, the veteran warrior started to climb the top mast to the crow's nest. The worried captain shouted, "War y agoin, Miss Rizzoli?"
Jane smiled, "I'm agoin to stop those boats."
Once up in the crow's nest, the experienced markswoman tested the wind again. The expert rifle shot loaded her Sharps, took aim at the closest ship and fired. The shot sailed for over two seconds before it struck the helmsman in the chest knocking him backwards.
Without the sailor to keep the rudder from turning the ship veered windward forcing the ship to left to avoid the rudderless ship. While that ship was causing havoc, Jane took a second shoot and again a helmsman was knocked backwards by the ball's impact. The second ship veered into the third ship that had been so busy avoiding the first ship it had ran right into the second ship.
The third ship rammed the second ship and punched a hole in its keel. Additionally the impact was so great that the third ship had become lodged into the second ship. However, the first ship had recovered. A new helmsman had his ship back on course.
Knowing that each helmsman she shot would be replaced by another driver, Jane found another target. A large man was shouting orders to the other men. Her third shot blew the now silent man from his shoes. The other men started shouting at each in obvious confusion.
Jane took advantage of this confusion and fired her fourth shot, which knocked another man to the ground. One after another, men were being blown to the ground by the large caliber bullets. With one officer and seven sailors down, the final ship gave up and retreated from view.
The wild Texas fighter climbed down to a cheering crew. The dark brunette smiled at all the fuss and said, "I'm glad they came it cured my seasickness."
***SE***
Her thirteenth birthday and Jane's fifteenth had passed without any word from America. The two young women had promised each other gifts for their respective birthdays. Though Maura had sent her gift, none had arrived from Texas. The wealthy Lady was considering visiting Texas.
Maura wasn't kidding herself; she knew she wanted desperately to see her friend. However, she had a very real fear. What if Jane didn't love her, like she loved the dark Texan? What if the wild American was repulsed by a young woman who would love another woman?
The more the honey blonde considered it; the more she convinced herself that Jane would hate her for feeling as she did. The young noblewoman was inconsolable. Even Tina could get through to her new mother. Maura moped around the house writing morbidly into her diaries and crying herself to sleep at night, while rereading Jane's old letter looking for clues of her true feelings.
Maura would wake up in the morning to a warm six year old holding her in her new daughter's desperate attempt to make her mother happy. Things started getting worse when the honey blonde started missing meals and staring into space, looking for something.
No matter how poorly she felt personally, the Lady didn't let her business suffer. Each day, the elite businesswoman would pour over report after report. Then the young heiress would write letter after letter to her managers. Each day, Lady Maura would develop some incite that would make the already successful company more successful.
Once the director's meeting had went off without any difficulty and for the first time in months, Maura had no real worries. The intelligent blonde saw no reason why she could go to America and would have if Georgina hadn't come running into her study shouting, "You have to come quickly, Milady. The constable is at the gate. He says its important."
When Maura arrived at the gate, she stopped abruptly. The stunned honey blonde couldn't believe her eyes. Standing next to the shaking constable was a laughing sea captain and a tall Texan in buckskins training a pistol on the terrified policeman.
***SE***
The Isles ship arrived in Swansea with a repaired mast from a terrible storm off the Canary Islands and an anxious brunette. The captain explained that they would be most of the day getting into port as the ship had to piloted in by the port authority. Jane was extremely excited and was pacing up and down her small cabin. Melody was becoming very impatient by the rhythmic march.
The thirteen year-old, the young woman had had her thirteen birthday aboard this ship as Jane had had her fifteenth asked, "Janie, kin y'all stop that thar marchin. Y'all drive me to my cups in a minute."
The worried Texan sat heavily on her bunk and look like she was about to jump off the ship. Melody had to ask, "Wat's wrong, Janie? Ain't y'all happy y'all cheer?"
The dreadfully terrified youth answered with a question that had been nagging at her over a month, "Wat iffin she's mad about me comin? I mean she dint invite me. I mean wat iffin she hates me. I couldn't take that. I mean I love her so much and it's been so long. Maybe she's done hitched. I knows they wonten her to hitch. Wat iffin she thinks bad of me? Wat were I thinkin?"
Melody nearly laughed as she said, "Hold up, Janie. Look at all the nice thins she sent y'all and dint y'all tell me that Mr. Conrad thought she sent 'em to y'all so's y'all'd come?"
The young brunette seemed a bit consoled when she answered, "Yeah, he said that. He dint know for shore, but he thought so. So y'all think I did rat by comin chere?"
Melody reached for her friend's hand and replied, "I never knew y'all to do a wrong thin in y'all's life, Janie."
The dark Texan answered, "Wal, y'all not known me fer long."
***SE***
When they made port, Jane was waiting at the gang plank with her rifle and all her arms. The dark warrior had one small bag with her and Melody had volunteered to stay behind and organize the luggage for its trip to Isles Manor. The captain was still trying to convince the wild American to leave her weapons behind. He kept telling her about gun laws in England.
The rough and wooly Texan wouldn't listen and walked off the ship fully armed the minute the gang plank was in place. The anxious sea captain was right behind her still trying to get her to understand about English gun laws. Suddenly, an English constable in full uniform approached the young American in her deerskins and said, "See here, young woman, you can't go armed like that. You must surrender your guns to me immediately."
Jane pulled a Le Mat from its belt holster and held it on the now stuttering policeman. The cold look, the wild Texan gave the constable made the man wet his pants. The horrified police officer swallowed his words as he said, "See here, you can't do that. I'm the constable in Swansea and if I have to I will arrest you."
Jane smiled and answered with the wave of her pistol, "Arrest away."
The sea captain started laughing and laughed all the way to Isles Manor.
Author's Note: I wrote the last 4000 words after 2 pm. Sorry for any problems. Still no beta readers.