The following morning, Trixie had just dashed into the schoolhouse and dropped into her seat when Ms. Pare called order.
“Second level-” She paused as the schoolhouse door opened. Trixie glanced around. Everyone was here today, except a few of the bigger boys who had been pulled for fieldwork. Who was interrupting?
Trixie smiled as she saw Madeleine appear in the doorway. There were a few whispers and a couple snickers but Trixie noted with envy that Madeleine kept her head up and elegantly swept past the giggles.
No doubt they were giggling over her dress, which took Trixie’s breath away. The elegant dark green skirt swept into a back bustle, and delicate white lace adorned the high neck and long sleeves. Paler green ribbons ran vertically down the bodice. The honey colored hair was swept up and pinned into an elegant pompadour. It was entirely too fancy for the tiny town, Trixie knew.
“Wow,” Di whispered, hating her old, plain dress even more. Why, oh why couldn’t she have had just one new dress in these last two years? She had grown taller, making the hem horribly, noticeably, shorter.
“And you are?” Ms. Pare asked, studying the young woman in front of her.
“Madeleine Wheeler, please, ma’am. I’m in the graduate class.”
“We’ll see,” Ms. Pare said coolly. “Please find a seat. I fear there may not be-“
“She can sit with us Ms. Pare,” Trixie interrupted.
Madeleine turned and gave her a relieved smile.
“Very well. Miss Wheeler, please join Misses Belden and Lynch.”
Trixie and Di scooted over so Madeleine could join them.
“Hi!” Trixie gave her an excited grin as Di smiled shyly.
Madeleine sank into the desk seat gracefully, pleased to see Trixie. Trixie’s friend was stunning, she thought wistfully, her big violet eyes framed by thick dark lashes, and Di’s shiny black hair was pulled back and swept up. Madeleine felt even more self conscious of her wealth, noting Trixie’s plain, simple calico dress, and Di’s threadbare gray one. Even the wealthier girls were easy to pick out, but none were quite as obvious as Madeleine. She made a mental note to immediately order some less ornate dresses.
Lunch recess found the three girls sitting on a log under the big tree, while the younger children played games. The other girls in their age group sat a ways away, giggling and pointedly ignoring them. Madeleine noticed even here in the Oklahoma Territory, wealth segregated everyone. The girls in homespun stuck together, the town girls with wealth formed their own circle. And for a reason she didn’t quite grasp yet, they seemed to all ignore Trixie and Diana.
“That’s Jane Morgan over there. She’s super bossy and everyone wants to be her friend because her father has lots of money, but she treats everyone like they’re beneath her,” Trixie confided to Madeleine as they spread the contents of the lunch pails.
Jane Morgan sent them haughty looks from her throne-like position on the big log. Her blond hair hung in smooth curls to her shoulder, with a big plum colored velvet bow in the back. Her dress matched perfectly with white lacing around the neck and collar. Her pointy nose and beady blue eyes watched her admirers like a hawk.
Madeleine noted how meager Di’s lunch was.
“Oh, bother!” she exclaimed. “Cook packed too much food. She knows I don’t eat this much. Would you girls like some?” she offered.
Gosh she’s nice! And generous! Both Trixie and Di were thinking. Di hesitated but Madeleine insisted she couldn’t eat all of her lunch and wanted to share.
Madeleine quickly showed she was actually ahead of the others in her class, and admitted to Trixie and Di after school that she had had a number of private tutors and attended posh girls finishing schools.
“Mother is just horrified that the schoolhouse is a one room,” she confessed as they walked home. “Father and Miss Trask had to intervene or Mother would have sent me right back east to school.”
“Who’s Miss Trask?” Di asked eagerly.
“She’s our estate manager. Mother organizes parties and such, but when it comes to running the day-to-day operations, Miss Trask does it marvelously. I think Mother is hoping to spend the season back in New York. The heat out here makes her awfully ill.”
“The season?” Trixie asked.
“Ball season. And of course it runs into Christmas and the New Year, so it lasts a number of months.”
“That’s amazing,” Di said breathlessly.
“It’s tiring.” Madeleine said as they walked slowly towards the main road that would lead them to their places. “She insisted Regan bring me out to class this morning but he agreed to me walking home. He’s our groom,” she added, “and my cousin somehow. Cares for nothing but horses, and doubles as our coachman when we need one.”
“You might want some lighter weight dresses,” Trixie suggested, “as it’s going to get even hotter and muggier.”
“Yes, I was thinking about that in class,” Madeleine agreed.
Trixie felt a prickling on her neck and stopped walking, turning to her left. Saddling his horse, but staring at them intensely, was the same dark haired man from yesterday. With a secretive smile identical to the one he gave her the previous day, he tipped his hat to her and mounted. Easily he nudged the horse into riding forward, and he rode right past the girls. Di and Madeleine had paused, realizing Trixie was several feet behind them.
Trixie wondered why she suddenly felt faint, and her heart was fluttering. As he passed her on the horse, she noted his strong build, broad shoulders, and a day or two of dark stubble. His dark eyes pierced her as he smiled, and she almost gasped when he winked. The black and gray horse continued on his way, the rider smirking.
“Wow,” Di breathed as he rode by, tipping his hat to her and Madeleine, horribly conscious of her ragged dress next the wealthy Madeleine.
“Did he wink at you?” Madeleine demanded.
Trixie swallowed. “You saw that?”
“Well, of course. Besides, you look a bit pale.” Madeline stepped over to Trixie.
“I’m all right. It’s just-I’ve never had a man do that!”
“Start walking again so he doesn’t look back and see us,” Di said quickly.
The girls resumed their walk and quickly neared the edge of town.
“Pa says there are so many new people coming into town we need to be careful. He doesn’t like me walking through the woods to your place alone,” Di said.
“Yes, Pa told me he wanted one of the boys to walk with me,” Trixie admitted.
“Goodness! I hope Father doesn’t hear any rumors like that, else Regan will be escorting me everywhere!” Honey sighed.
“Trixie!” a male voice called.
The girls paused and turned and Trixie grinned. Her older brother Brian was hurrying towards them. Ambitious to be a doctor, Brian was working with Dr. Ferris, and trying to save money to complete his final year at medical school.
“Who is that?” Madeleine whispered.
“My eldest brother,” Trixie replied absently as he reached them.
Tall, slender but solid, with wavy dark hair and black eyes, Brian Belden was the spitting image of their father. His white shirt hugged his slender torso, and his dark hair peeped out from under his hat.
“Hi Diana, oh hello.” Brian realized there was a third girl and hesitated, words flying from his mind as he stared at the lovely girl.
“Madeleine, my oldest, and nicest brother, Brian. Brian, this is Madeleine Wheeler. Her family just moved in to into the Manor House estate.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Madeleine murmured, holding out her hand.
Brian took it and barely brushed his lips against it.
“The pleasure is mine,” he managed.
Di and Trixie managed not to giggle audibly but exchanged a glance. Serious Brian Belden had never taken his head out of his books to show interest in any of the girls they knew!
“Did you want to walk home with us?” Trixie asked.
“What?” Brian finally looked at her. “Oh no, I just wanted you to tell Ma I won’t be there for supper. I’m going to ride out with Dr. Ferris to the Frayne estate. Mr. Frayne isn’t feeling well.”
“I’ll tell her,” Trixie promised.
“Thank you. Afternoon ladies,” his dark eyes lingered on Madeleine, who seemed to have blushed just a bit as he tipped his hat.
Her hazel eyes followed him as he hurried off.
“He’s so nice,” she breathed.
Trixie snorted, then looked twice at her new friend, who look stunned.
“I believe she fancies him, Trix.” Di giggled, her violet eyes sparkling.
“Oh no. Di fancies Mart, you fancy Brian-have you both lost your minds?” Trixie asked.
“Mart’s the other brother?” Madeleine asked.
“Yes. He’s eleven months older than me, and a terrible pest! But Di here seems to admire him.” Trixie sighed, as they started walking again.
“He’s very sweet,” Di protested. “And he has curls like Trixie, and those big blue eyes . . . not dark like Brian’s mind you . . .”
Trixie rolled her eyes and walked ahead of her friends, so as she wouldn’t have to hear a listing of Mart’s admirable traits, as according to Diana.
***
Dan rode up to the huge Frayne estate. The Fraynes had made their money fast, in cattle and inheritance in New York. James Sr. had gone west with his share, and built up the Frayne Ranch in Oklahoma. Dan had done his research on the Frayne family.
Nudging his horse Spartan towards the barn, Dan went in search of a foreman.
An hour later, he scribbled his name on the contract line. Frayne was a likeable enough fellow, but it was the foreman, Jonesy, that Dan would work directly under. A slender, stoop-shouldered dark haired man that looked squirrelish to Dan, Jonesy seemed reluctant to take him on, but Jim wasn’t.
“Welcome aboard.” Jim shook his hand, pleased at the firmness of the grip. “Jonesy here will get you set up in the bunkhouse.”
“Thank you, it’s an honor to work for the Fraynes.”
Jim just nodded, uncomfortable at the implication. He would never be comfortable with formality.
Jonesy knocked on his office door a while later.
“Come in Jonesy. New man settled? What was his name?” Jim knew perfectly well what the new man’s name was, but he was still gauging Jonesy’s dependability as foreman.
“Mangan sir. Jist wanted to tell you I ain’t sure we’s can trust him.” Jonesy clutched his hat against his chest.
“We can’t trust anyone Jonesy.” Jim reminded him. “Not until we catch those rustlers.”
“You’re right sir. Jist givin’ my opin’n.”
“Thank you Jonesy,” Jim returned to his ledger, dismissing his foreman.
***
Madeleine smiled in relief as Miss Trask unwrapped her new dresses. Hugging her gratefully, Madeleine lifted them in scrutiny. Soft colors and fabrics, but much simpler than her city clothes. Miss Trask had already anticipated the problem and ordered dresses a couple days before, as a surprise. These were more gowns appropriate to the climate and town, including several blouses. The dressmaker was all too happy to fill the large order.
"Oh these are wonderful," Madeleine said happily. "Thank you Miss Trask!"
"You're very welcome dear. I know starting over out here isn't easy. Perhaps this will help."
"Most assuredly," Madeleine's hazel eyes sparkled, wishing for the millionth time in her life that Miss Trask had been her mother, instead of the silly, vain woman she had been named after.
"I'll hang them right way, so they don't get wrinkled. We can move the other dresses to the back of the wardrobe," Madeleine decided happily. Finally, she could try to fit in!
***
Dan ran one hand through his thick, curly dark hair as he scribbled notes on a small notepad. When he heard the others coming in, he quickly shoved it under the mattress. While he doubted most of the other cowhands could read, he wasn’t taking any chances.
 
Author Notes
- thanks for reading!
- a big yee-haw out to Julie, my editor!
- stick around as the plot thickens!
- Word Count, 2014
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