Late September, 1882, Oklahoma (Indian) Territory
Madeleine glanced discreetly at Miss Trask, who sat working on embroidery in a quiet corner of the room.
Nick Roberts had come for tea, as was becoming their weekly standing appointment. He never stayed more than an hour or so, harvest time started the following week and he’d be needed in the fields.
She enjoyed their chats, mostly about the great artists, and the way his dark eyes lit up as she discussed art with him, showing him famous paintings in the books from her father’s library.
This weekend was a dance, as the town council was announcing the final selections for a new name for the town of Winekekia, as well as the next mayoral election and the candidates.
***
Trixie stood watching the approaching stage coach. She wore her Sunday best, hat included. Her blonde curls weren’t cooperating in the sweltering Oklahoma humidity and she could feel the beads of sweat running down her neck. Standing with her was her family, all dressed in Sunday best even though it was a Thursday.
Bobby couldn’t stand still, eagerly staring down the road that the stagecoach would come. Mart was humming. Peter and Helen stood quietly, her arm tucked in his, and Trixie idly wondered how her mother managed to stay looking fresh and elegant. It was a trait she envied Madeleine of as well.
The stage coach would reach them any minute, bearing Trixie’s cousin, Hallie Belden. Trixie didn’t know what sort of trouble Hallie had gotten herself into that was the cause of her being sent out here, but she had been dreading this day since her parents announced Hallie was coming to live with them.
Trixie’s deep seated resentment was lifelong. Every few years they visited, and Hallie and Trixie argued. Their relationship was more competitive than anything else, and Hallie never failed to make Trixie feel insecure. Physically they were opposites. Hallie was tall, slender and beautiful, with long black hair and dark eyes, where Trixie was short, sturdy, blonde and freckled.
Trixie’s true fear lay in her two beaus, brothers Jim Frayne and US Marshal Dan Mangan. The two wealthiest men in town were both courting her in a friendly competition and Trixie was terrified Hallie would only have to bat her big dark eyes and both boys would go running to her.
Jim had laughingly reassured her that it wasn’t possible, and Dan had laid a kiss on her that made her knees weak, promising Hallie wouldn’t steal him away.
But now Trixie’s fears were flooding back as the stagecoach drew nearer, hooves thundering and accompanied by a large cloud of dust. The horses drew up and her father, Peter Belden, stepped forward as the coach came to a stop. Peter opened the door to help Hallie out as the driver retrieved her bags and handed them to Mart. Trixie eyes widened as the driver reached for a third bag as well.
“Hallie!” Peter helped her down and hugged her. Trixie forced a smile on her face but her heart sunk.
Hallie was even prettier than she remembered, tall, and willowy, wearing a dark traveling dress of blue velvet. The long, straight black hair was pulled up elegantly, with a jaunty flat hat perched at a careful angle. White ostrich feathers decorated the hat and the cuffs and neck of her blouse were frilly lace.
Trixie swallowed hard as her brothers hugged Hallie. Jim and Dan were as good as lost.
***
Hallie talked animatedly on the ride back to Crabapple Farm, filling the family in on her brothers Capleton and Knutson, and her parents. She, Mart, Trixie and Bobby occupied the back of the buckboard wagon as it jostled along back to Crabapple Farm. Trixie kept her eyes focused on the landscape, pretending to study the outstretched plains.
“So what is there to do out here?” Hallie drawled, her dark eyes on Trixie. “You’ve been awfully quiet, Trixie.”
“Just letting you catch us up,” Trixie answered politely.
Mart gave her a sidelong glance.
“Mother told me you have a beau?” Hallie asked causally.
Trixie nodded.
“Two,” Bobby chimed in. Hallie raised one black eyebrow.
“Two?”
“Jim and Dan,” Bobby continued. “Dan’s a Marshal but Jim is his brother, and they’re really nice. I like them both. Dan tells me all sorts of stories about the criminals he’s caught and Jim lets me help around the farm.”
“They’re the great-nephews of our neighbor, Mr. Frayne, Sr.,” Mart explained. “And their parents recently came to town. I’m sure you’ll meet them.”
“I can’t wait,” Hallie smiled but Trixie saw the calculation behind it. “Very impressive, Trixie has two beaus. Here I am with none!”
“That won’t be long,” Mart said cheerfully. “There are plenty of boys in town that will like you. I bet you have a couple beaus of your own before long!”
Trixie prayed it wasn’t her two.
***
Mart was unwrapping his horse’s reins from the post when he glanced across the street at the sound of a cat call whistle. A tall thin man was chomping on tobacco and whistling at two young girls who hurried by, eyes averted.
Mart frowned. He recognized both girls who were still in school, and made a mental note to talk to their father about letting them walk alone. He knew Dan didn’t like the new wave of scoundrels wandering into town but unfortunately, as Dan explained it, it went along with progress and was unavoidable.
His eyes moved to the mercantile and he smiled when he saw the elegant woman in purple emerge. She was escorted by Harrison, the family’s newly acquired butler. A tall, very stiff and proper man, he made Mart very uncomfortable with his beady eyes always following him everywhere, like he expected Mart to snatch the silverware. On the other hand, he often had the younger children in line, giving Diana more free time.
Diana and Harrison walked past the men, ignoring rude and vulgar comments called out to them, implying Harrison had purchased her for a trophy wife.
Mart felt a rush of anger at the men. He toyed with the thought of strolling over and punching him out but Diana and Harrison had reached their wagon and were taking their leave. Instead, Mart swung up on his horse and cantered up alongside his intended, to escort them home.
***
The next morning, Trixie went into town early, hoping to catch Dan alone at the jail. She knew he was an early riser and often took the morning shifts. Jim would already be out checking the cattle in the morning as he always did.
He was sitting at the desk, going over the ledger when she walked in, and he looked up, his handsome face breaking into a smile.
“This a nice surprise,” he rose. “Trix, what’s wrong?”
She flung herself into his arms and he held her tightly, grateful there was no one in the cells to witness the embrace.
“Trix, tell me what happened,” he said in alarm.
“Hallie’s here.”
“Your cousin?” he asked. This must be a woman thing, he figured. Trixie had been moaning about her for the last week.
“Yes,” Trixie replied, her voice muffled as she had pressed her face against his dark vest.
“Hey, I told you not to worry about that,” he said gently, tipping her face up to his.
“I can’t help it, Dan,” she murmured. “All my life, every time we’ve been together, she wants what I have. My brothers all adore her, my parents do too-she always took my dolls, just everything!”
“She won’t take me,” he said firmly. “I don’t care how pretty you think she is.”
“You should have seen her face last night when she found I had two beaus. It was like…something just lit up in her head,” Trixie’s temper flared as she pulled away and her eyes darkened. “I could see it. And she’s prettier than ever and –and tall!”
Dan knew he was on delicate ground here. The last thing he wanted was to feed her insecurities, but if he blew her worries off, she’d be furious.
“Well, sweetheart, maybe she does have an agenda. But it’s been years since you’ve seen her, maybe she’s changed.”
“I doubt it.”
Dan couldn’t bear the look on her face and drew her close, taking advantage of the silent jail to kiss her gently. “It’ll be all right, I promise. Remember we’re all coming over for the supper picnic tonight, and I’ll meet her then.”
He felt her slip her arms around his waist and hold onto him tightly. His curiosity about Hallie Belden was piqued.
***
Trixie felt better as she headed back to Crabapple Farm. Dan had left her with a searing kiss that made her giddy. There was a lot to do in preparation for tonight. The Wheelers and Lynches were coming as well, and Helen would have chores for everyone.
Except Hallie, Trixie noticed an hour later. Hallie was still sleeping, she thought sourly. Helen had given her the excuse that Hallie was exhausted from traveling. Mart was out helping Peter and the Lynch men, walking the fields for a final crop check before they began harvesting, as Bobby was finishing the washing of the windows, and Helen and Trixie diligently worked on preparing food.
Apple harvest was also starting, and Hallie, Trixie, Diana, her mother and sisters, and Helen would be working in the orchard while the men were working in the fields. It was a system that had worked well over the years for both families.
Katje Frayne arrived around noon, surprising Helen with her insistence at helping. She brought a large basket with a variety of pies, and cheerfully joined the Belden women in preparing a feast. Trixie took note that Jim’s favorite pie was apple with a heavy dosing of cinnamon, while Dan preferred a combination of blackberry and cherry. Dan also liked darker breads, she discovered, but Jim liked straight wheat. Katje amused them with stories of her sons as young boys and their antics. Neither boy liked peas and had often slipped them under the table to Patch, the family spaniel.
Trixie strongly suspected Katje was giving her information as she expected Trixie would eventually marry one of her boys.
Once Hallie had risen, she donned a dark calico dress and tied her hair back to help out. She worked in silence, answering Katje politely but Trixie suspected her cousin was also memorizing the information about the boys.
They changed their dresses before the guest arrived. Trixie opted for her light blue calico, tying the blue ribbon around her throat. Both Jim and Dan had commented on how it brought out her eyes. As usual her curls were a bit wild, but she couldn’t help it. She glanced in the mirror, hoping her freckles didn’t stand out too much.
Her heart sunk when she saw Hallie in her maroon gown, fashionable and decorated with pink lace edging, and the black hair swept up elegantly. At the throat was a small trio of pink roses on a red ribbon.
She couldn’t compete, Trixie thought despairingly. Jim and Dan would take one look at Hallie and forget her.
The Lynches arrived first, bringing an assortment of fruits and salads. The Wheelers and Win Frayne arrived together, along with Regan, who was his usual quiet self but stayed close to Juliana. Trixie noted Dan kept his distance from the young redheaded man, but Regan seemed to covertly be studying Dan. Trixie made a mental note mention it to Dan later.
Both Jim and Dan greeted her with big smiles. Trixie reluctantly introduced them to Hallie, who gave them a wide smile of her own, and Trixie felt her hackles raise.
“Trixie hasn’t told me much about either of you,” she purred. “So we simply must get acquainted better.”
“I told you all about them,” Bobby piped up. “Jim has the red hair, Dan has the black hair.”
For an instant, Trixie saw the mirth on Hallie’s pretty face but it was gone almost faster than she could blink.
“So you did Bobby, but I do want to be acquainted with the two men who are so taken with my dear cousin.”
Dan had a talent for reading people and their motivations, and he immediately realized Trixie was right about her cousin. He knew her sort. Not unlike one of Jim’s former lady friends. Dorothy-call-me-Dot, he remembered. Catty, manipulative and charming who had tried to snare Jim into marriage last year. Dan had a feeling he knew what sort of “trouble” Hallie had gotten herself into.
A glance to his brother let him know that Jim had her number as well. Jim was his unfailing polite self, but he had no intention of being left alone with the young lady.
Honey stepped up to Hallie, looking elegant as usual in the green and brown poplin dress.
“Hallie, I’ve been simply dying to meet you. Do come and tell me all about the Idaho Territory, I’ve never been,” she said sweetly, tucking her arm through Hallie’s and drawing her away from the boys before Hallie could protest.
Trixie smiled to herself, grateful for Honey. Di slipped up to Trixie, and squeezed her hand. Her dress today was lavender and white. Her entire new wardrobe was shades of purple, which flattered her dark hair and violet eyes.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered. Trixie squeezed her hand back.
The evening was full of laughter and conversation. Peter, Win, Regan and Matthew had drifted off towards the corral and were enjoying their pipes. Bobby, Terry and Larry Lynch had disappeared into the orchard.
Dan and Jim were teaching Mart and the older girls poker tricks. Mart had been proudly showing them his new knife that he had admired for months. The hilt had intricate carving and Mart had had his initials, MAB engraved into the base. Jim intentionally managed to get Trixie to sit between him and Dan, with Di on his other side, taking up most of the space on that side of the table, with Mart, Madeleine and Hallie across from them.
The mothers discussed recipes and fashion trends in New York. Grace Wheeler and Katje Frayne were the most up to date on the latest and kept Sherilyn Lynch and Helen intrigued by the new lower necklines that were rapidly becoming seen even on the streets. Suzanne and Julie Lynch, the eleven year old twins sat with their mother, listening to fashion.
It was late when the party wound down, but Trixie felt better. Peter had played his fiddle, Win and Jim accompanied him on the harmonica, and they had all danced for a while. Dan took advantage to dance with Trixie until his brother had a chance, and they both had a short dance with Hallie.
Trixie drifted off to sleep that night smiling, despite her cousin laying next to her. She hoped the rest of her cousin’s stay would go as smoothly.
 
***
Author's Notes
- a huge yeee-haaa! to my editor, Julie! All mistakes are mine.
*Idaho was its own territory until 1890, when it joined the union. The Idaho Territory included what is today Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_Territory
- word count, 2,537
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