Chapter 23
"You look absolutely stunning," Kid said as he clasped a string of pearls around his wife's neck. Louise looked at him over her shoulder, and then they shared a brief, but intense kiss.
Lou turned her head, and studied her own reflection in the mirror of the new dresser. A week had gone by since she had set foot in Fort Kearney. Things with Kid could not be better. Being with him was like living in a constant honeymoon. Everything was so romantic and special, and surprisingly they had not argued once, not even about trivial things. Lou would feel over the moon if life were reduced to the simple pleasure of enjoying her husband's presence. Unfortunately, nothing was simple, and there were other elements to consider, which were not as bucolic as that, and that point had a clear name, Mrs. Giles.
Her situation with Kid's housekeeper had not improved. Lou had tried to approach her, and make herself useful around the house, but that had failed every time. When Ari was around, Louise felt like an uninvited guest in her home, and she often found refuge in her bedroom, the only place Mrs. Giles never set foot in.
All the furniture and the floor in her and Kid's bedroom shone sparklingly from all the times Lou had cleaned, washed, and polished the whole room. It was one of the things she tried to distract herself with. When she did not clean, she simply lay on the bed or sat on the rocking chair while reading a book. The situation did not please Lou. She felt like a prisoner in her own home, but she trusted that with time things would not be so tense between her and Mrs. Giles. She would eventually have to talk to her, but she still believed the woman might realize she was not as bad as she thought.
Thankfully, she also had the opportunity to be outside the house quite a lot when she helped Kid with the animals and other chores around the ranch, which she adored. The property was not as big as the station in Rock Creek, so chores were limited. So once the stables were mucked out, the animals cleaned, fed, and exercised, the cow milked, and the eggs picked, there was not much to do. And apart from that, Kid always left to tackle some business dealings in town every day. So even though Louise would love nothing more than go with him, she always stayed behind, locked in her suffocating house. She knew how everything worked and whether she wanted or not, this world still belonged to men, and she could not interfere with the business. Kid never said a word against her joining him in town, but Lou knew better than say anything. Many men would not appreciate a woman's involvement in what they considered men's matters, so much to her chagrin, Lou stayed at home and tried to be the wife society demanded her to be.
Yesterday Kid came announcing his old boss had invited them to dinner. So tonight Lou had donned one of her new dresses and done what she could with her now short, untamed hair. What a fool she had been! Cutting her long hair for her stupid pride once again! There was nothing she could do now, just accept another mistake of hers.
The visit to the Grangers unsettled Louise greatly, in particular after experiencing Mrs. Giles' rejection all these days. Lou feared she would have a similar reception from Mr. Granger and his daughter. Gloria Granger had wanted to be more than friends with Kid, which was something she could not forget either, and Louise imagined that she and the woman would not hit it off.
Kid noticed Lou's troubled expression in the mirror, and grew concerned. "Lou, are you happy?" he blurted out.
The sound of his voice and the question in itself startled her. Louise turned around to face him, and said, "Of course I'm happy. You make me happy. Why do you have to ask such a question?"
"Well… I ain't blind, Lou, and I've noticed that you look sad."
"I'm not sad, Kid!" Louise exclaimed. "I'm just nervous about meeting your friends, that's all."
"I don't mean now. It's every day. It's as if your eyes had lost the light I could see in them when we were in Rock Creek. I really want to know what I'm doing wrong, and why my wife ain't happy."
Louise lowered her gaze. She had kept quiet about how Ari made her feel because she did not want to create problems. Lou had sworn that she would do anything to make it up to Kid, and that included to swallow her pride and overlook Mrs. Giles' attitude. This was her husband's life, and she wanted to make it better, not disrupt it with demands and trouble. "I swear I'm happy," Lou muttered again. "I… I… I just feel a bit unsettled. Everything around me is new, and it takes up a lot from me to adapt."
"But you're doing so well," Kid said, placing a finger under her chin and tilting her head to him. "I love working every day alongside you, and the house looks nicer with all that stuff you bought."
Lou gave him a small smile. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course I do. I know it ain't easy to start practically from scratch, and I appreciate what you've done for us, honey. I'm sure you'll settle down soon enough. I already think you're doing fine. This morning I came across Mr. Harper, the store keeper, and two other ladies, and they must already have met you because they told me what a charming wife I had, and how lucky I was."
Lou blushed at the compliment. "Thankfully, they don't know half our story."
Kid sighed. "Lou, please, let's not go down that road again. If we keep bringing up the past, we'll never be able to move on."
"I know, and… it was just a comment. That's all."
"Lou, our past and mistakes only belong to us. What other people think doesn't matter, so you don't need to be nervous about meeting Mr. Granger or anybody for that matter. You'll be fine," he said, almost guessing her thoughts, as he brought her hands to his lips.
"I don't know what I've done to deserve you," she whispered. "And I really mean it."
"I often wonder the same," Kid added. "All I know is we belong together, and history's just proved me right." Louise nodded with a smile. "And now, Mrs. McCloud, may I escort you to your wagon now?" he asked, offering her his arm in a pompous way.
Lou hooked her arm around his, and smiled. "Yes, let's go."
"It's a real shame this place has lost its splendor in just a few years," Kid said as he drove the wagon along the dirt path leading to the house. "You should have seen it back then, Lou. It was amazing."
"What does Mr. Granger do now?"
"He still has some horses, but business is quite limited, compared to what this ranch used to be in its best times. And since the property is huge and he doesn't need so much space, he lends land to farmers, and he gets part of his income out of this."
"Maybe this laidback way of life makes him happier."
Kid yanked the reins to stop the wagon just in front of the house. "Knowing him and the reasons behind these changes I very much doubt that. Yet, I have to say he sounded and looked better yesterday when I saw him. I guess time heals everything."
Lou nodded at Kid's words. She could easily imagine the ordeal this family had gone through, and she knew that black cloud would never go away completely. With time it would surely fade, but the memory would stay forever.
Kid helped Lou off the wagon, and once her feet were on safe ground, she lifted her eyes to study the house. It was an imposing and beautiful building. Three stories stood up against the dusk sky. The façade was white-washed, and the window sills and frames had wood-carved motifs that embellished the whole house; the front door was a combination of latticed wood and colored glass, and the porch had a beautiful verandah that invited you to relax in warm summer nights.
Standing at the door Kid tugged at some kind of metal handle several times that made a bell ring inside. The couple did not have to wait long for the door to open, and a man who Lou imagined was Mr. Granger received them with a welcoming smile. The man instantly greeted Kid with obvious fondness and pulled him into a bear hug. "It's always good to see you, Kid," the man exclaimed. "You know you're always welcomed in this house, but lately you've become quite a stranger. When did you last visit us? A month ago? Incredible, considering we don't live that far away."
"Things have kept me busy, Mr. Granger."
"Mr. Granger? How many times do I have to tell you to call me Trevor? You ain't working for me anymore."
"Yes, you're right," Kid admitted with a smile. He realized that his former boss was looking at Lou with curiosity, and he hurried to make the proper introductions. "Mr… uh … Trevor, let me introduce you to my wife Louise."
"It's a pleasure, Ma'am," the man said, kissing her hand politely.
Lou grinned pleasantly at Mr. Granger's grandiloquent ways. In a way he reminded her of Teaspoon, even copying his mannerisms around women. "I've heard so much about you. It was time we finally met."
"Your sly husband, though, never said a word about how beautiful his wife was. I can hardly blame him. If I had a treasure like you at home, I would be wary to share the information with other men."
Louise blushed at the man's comment. Her fears about meeting Kid's other friends were ungrounded, and she was starting to relax. Mr. Granger was all kindness, and she had been a fool to let her weird relationship with Mrs. Giles rule her apprehension.
"Thanks," Lou replied sheepishly, exchanging a look with her husband.
"Please don't stand there, and come in," Mr. Granger exclaimed, and stepped aside to let his guests step inside.
The couple left their coats and Kid his hat in the hall, and then followed Mr. Granger to the lounge. It was a spacious room, lavishly decorated, with plenty of light from the multiple lamps burning around. During the day the room would also be luminous as wide widows greeted from every wall. Lou noticed a very pretty young woman sitting on one of the plush sofas, and behind her there was a man standing.
Gloria rose to her feet when the newcomers walked in, and her attention was instantly directed to the Southerner. "Hello, Kid," she said warmly, stretching her arm to him.
"Gloria," Kid called her name softly and kissed her hand courteously, something the woman seemed to be used to.
A pang of jealousy hit Lou powerfully as she watched the exchange between her husband and the young woman. Gloria Granger was a beautiful lady, with long, green eyes, and dark, wavy hair done in a flattering French braid. Kid had told her that nothing had ever happened between him and Gloria, but now that Louise had the woman before her eyes, the doubts assaulted her. Naturally, she was certain her husband had not lied, but noticing the amazing beauty in the woman she wondered how Kid had remained faithful to her. Compared to Gloria, Lou felt she was nothing as far as looks went, and in the last decade she had not shown much perfection in her moral side either. She had been horrible to Kid. How was it possible he hadn't turn to another woman in all this time? Somebody with better looks, someone who didn't demand so much of him, and could fully understand him. Gloria Granger had been there when Lou herself had been missed. Why on earth hadn't Kid filled his empty heart with her presence and maybe her love?
"Louise, this is my daughter, Gloria."
Both women exchanged polite greetings. Lou did her utmost to smile and conceal the awkwardness and sensations she was feeling. In silence she cursed herself for her weakness. In these two weeks Kid had proved to her over and over again that he loved her, and there was no other woman for him. Why couldn't she then enjoy what she had? Why did she have to doubt him and herself? What was wrong in her head?
"Kid, I imagine you remember Channing Andrews," Mr. Granger added.
"Naturally," Kid said, walking up to the man and shaking hands with him. "How are you, Channing?"
When Lou was politely greeting the young man too, Mr. Granger spoke up. "Tonight apart from enjoying your company, Kid, we're celebrating something. Gloria and Channing just got engaged yesterday."
As soon as Kid heard the news he turned his surprised eyes to Gloria. For a few seconds he stared at her startled, and then when he realized all eyes were on him, he spoke up. "Uh… congratulations," Kid finally said after a few silent seconds. "I'm happy for you two."
"And thank God he finally popped the question. For one moment I thought I'd go to my grave before this fool had the guts to propose," Mr. Granger exclaimed good-humorously.
Channing and Gloria exchanged a look and blushed. "There's nothing wrong in being shy," the woman said in a soft voice.
"Of course not, honey," Mr. Granger added. "I was just teasing my future son-in-law. And now what about having some dinner?"
Everybody nodded, and Mr. Granger led the way, and as it was socially proper, Kid offered his arm to the hostess of the house while Lou and Channing followed them. Despite the first good impression tonight, Lou had sunk down again, and she was feeling anything but at ease right now. Her insecurities and jealousy had taken a strong hold of her, and did not let go, especially as she could see Kid smiling at Gloria as they walk arm in arm towards the dining room.
There was something else that worried her. Why had Kid reacted so coldly to the young couple's engagement? Was he jealous or did he regret he wasn't in Channing's shoes? A wicked voice was whispering unsettling ideas into Lou's ear. What if the reason why Kid had refused Gloria's advances was simply his condition as a married man? Kid had always been too upright, and Lou was sure he would never commit adultery willingly. What if Kid had said no to Gloria when in fact he was dying to be with her? Could his commitment to his wedding vows be so compelling to him that he had accepted and forgiven her after all these years because he couldn't aspire to Gloria as an already married man? The idea terrified Lou, and she knew she had to know. There was no way she could live a lie if her husband was in love with somebody else. However hard the truth was, she would have to ask him. Yet, first she would have to endure this dinner before he could ask him. It was going to be a very long night. Almost endless.