The Enchanted Land

  “You from around here?”

  “New Mexico.”

  “We been through there once. Too dry for me. I like it better here.”

  Seth looked around at the dirty, barren camp. There were many tents and a few haphazard shacks. The trees had long ago been used for firewood. Even the stream was discolored with dishwater, cooking grease, soap-suds, and the leavings from hundreds of slop jars. He remembered the clean, clear hills and arroyos on his ranch.

  Seth quickly finished his meal and went back to work. The more he worked, the more tired he was, the less he was able to think. Yet at night, under the stars, he often lay awake for hours remembering Morgan, every word they’d ever spoken, every caress they’d shared.

  A month passed. The days began to run together. The other people in the camp had tried to be friendly, but Seth’s sullenness made them withdraw. Only Lee Ann stayed by him, bringing his meals three times a day.

  It was Lee Ann who got the tent for him. One of the diggers was giving up, selling out, going back east. She bought everything without even asking Seth. Seth told her to take what gold she needed from his ever-growing hoard. She marveled that he trusted her so much, but also wanted to scold him for not hiding his gold like her pa did.

  When Seth fell onto the hard cot at night, he hardly noticed the difference between it and the ground he had grown accustomed to. He was used to Lee Ann’s presence and took for granted that she kept his food hot until he was ready for it, kept his clothes washed, mended, and orderly.

  One morning after Seth had been at Cypress Pass for two months, Lee Ann saw him packing his gear on his horse. His tent was already down and he was just rolling his blankets.

  “Where you goin’?”

  He missed the alarm in her voice. “This place is getting too crowded. Heard about a new place upriver and thought I’d try there for a while. The gold’s played out here.”

  Lee Ann turned abruptly and started running back to her parents’ tent.

  Seth looked after her. He’d planned to stop and say goodbye to Lee Ann, but as he watched her go, he just shrugged. He didn’t really care one way or another if he left the camp. He didn’t really seem to care about anything anymore.

  Lee Ann ran to her mother, breathless. “He’s leavin’, Ma, and I’m goin’ with him.”

  There was no need to tell who “he” was. Corinne knew her daughter had thought of nothing but Seth Blake for two months. Corinne opened her mouth to protest, but one look at Lee Ann’s eyes made her stop. She’d felt this way about Larry, too. There was no use trying to persuade Lee Ann to wait and get the man to marry her. Corinne and Larry hadn’t been married until after Ben was born.

  “I have to, Ma,” she whispered.

  The tears gathered in Corinne’s eyes. “I know.” She hugged her daughter, a short fierce hug. “Well, let’s hurry and get your things together. You’ll have to take the mule.”

  “Oh, Ma, I can’t. Pa needs him.”

  “That’s all right. He needs his daughter, too. If he can spare one, he can spare the other. There, now, that’s everything.” They had hurriedly stuffed Lee Ann’s two other dresses into an old carpet bag.

  “You’ll tell them for me, Ma?”

  “I will. You be careful, now. And Lee Ann,” she called after her daughter, who was already climbing onto the mule, “if anything happens, you come back, you hear?”

  Lee Ann nodded and headed the mule away from the tent.

  She’s so young, Corinne thought, and so happy. Please, Lord, let it turn out as good for her as it did for me.

  Lee Ann caught up with Seth about a mile out of the camp.

  He smiled at her. “Goin’ into town?”

  “No, I’m going with you.”

  He stopped his horse. “You’re what? You can’t go with me.”

  She smiled up at him. “I certainly can. You need me—to take care of you.”

  “What about your parents? And I don’t need anyone.”

  Lee Ann continued smiling. “Ma understands. She ran off with Pa, just like I’m goin’ with you.”

  Seth’s eyes narrowed, his voice was stern. “You don’t understand. I said I don’t need anyone, and we’re not going to be like your ma and pa.”

  Lee Ann’s smile of confidence didn’t dim.

  “You have to go back. Don’t you understand? I have a wife!”

  Only for a second did a shadow cross Lee Ann’s brown eyes. “If you have a wife, then why ain’t she here? You need someone here with you now, and that’s me.”

  “My wife…” Seth began. He could see it was no use. There was a will of steel behind those soft eyes. “Don’t expect anything from me, Lee Ann, because there’s nothing left to give,” he said quietly before he turned his horse toward town again.

  As Lee Ann kicked her mule to follow, she thought, at least it’ll be easier to fight a ghost than a flesh-and-blood wife. I’ll make him forget. She was happy as she smiled at Seth’s broad back, the bronzed muscles moving under the rough cotton shirt.

  For months, Lee Ann and Seth traveled from one gold field to another. After the first few weeks, Lee Ann began to lose her natural happiness. Seth ignored all her attempts at any sort of a relationship. One night, when she had crawled onto his cot with him, he merely shrugged and turned away. In the morning, he had pulled her close to him and she was so happy she laughed aloud, the happiness spilling over her. The sound of her laughter made Seth look at her, shaking off the drowsiness of sleep. Abruptly, he pushed her from him.

  She had thought he’d talk more when she lived with him, but if anything, he talked less. As the days wore on, she lost her smile, and went about her chores lifelessly.

  Seth was aware of Lee Ann and it nagged at him that she was unhappy. He’d tried to get her to go back to her parents, but each time he mentioned it, she’d cry. He’d finally dropped the idea.

  On one of their trips to town for supplies, they met Johnny.

  “Are you staying long, Mr. Daniels?” The girl was a pale blonde. She seemed to have no eyebrows or lashes.

  “That depends, Miss Emory, on whether you’re going to be around.” He flashed even white teeth at her.

  Lee Ann watched the scene absently. The young man was hardly out of his teens, not like her Seth, she thought. She looked to where Seth was studying new harnesses. Her Seth! He didn’t even know she was around, half the time. She looked back at the young man. He was very handsome, and the three girls around him thought so, too.

  “My pa’s camp is not far away. Maybe you’d like to come for supper some night.”

  “That I would, Miss Cookson, but I’m sure my appetite would disappear with something as pretty as you so near me.”

  Lee Ann looked at Miss Cookson. Her nose was positively hooked! She turned away in disgust.

  “Girls!” An older woman summoned the three women. Reluctantly, they left, amidst flamboyant goodbyes. Lee Ann kept her attention on the groceries.

  “Now, young man, what can I get for you?” The clerk addressed Mr. Daniels.

  “I’m not sure. I’ve never cooked anything before. What do I need?”

  Lee Ann felt her heart lurch at the need in the boy’s voice.

  “Beans, first of all.” He handed the boy a bag of dried beans.

  “Aren’t they a little hard to eat?”

  Lee Ann couldn’t suppress a giggle. She was still laughing when she felt a hand on her arm.

  “Allow me to introduce myself—Johnny Daniels, Miss…”

  “Lee Ann.” She couldn’t give Seth’s last name, and her parents seemed so far away.

  “Well, Miss Lee Ann.”

  “No, just Lee Ann.”

  “All right, just Lee Ann, possibly you could explain how I make these”—he held out the dried beans—“fit to eat.” Johnny’s eyes sparkled and Lee Ann responded to the laughter in them.

  Seth turned to see Lee Ann smiling into the boy’s eyes. He had not seen her look like that in months. There had been tim
es when Morgan had looked at him in adoration. He tried to wipe the image from his mind.

  He walked toward Lee Ann and she introduced them. As Seth watched Lee Ann’s face light up, he realized how much he owed this girl for taking care of him for so long. He was poor company even for himself, much less for this young girl.

  “Why don’t you invite Mr. Daniels to supper, Lee Ann?”

  Both Lee Ann and Johnny were happy at the prospect. As they left the store, Seth heard Johnny whisper to Lee Ann, “Is he your father?”

  Seth looked down at himself. He felt old. He didn’t like what he had become. He remembered how happy he’d been in the few weeks when he and Morgan had been together.

  All through dinner that night, as the three sat in the dingy tent, Seth watched Lee Ann and Johnny. The eyes were wide as they discovered mutual interests and explored backgrounds. Able to stand it no longer, Seth left the tent, needing the cool night air.

  “Did we do something?” Johnny asked.

  “No, he’s like that. Moody. Tell me some more about your family.”

  Johnny frowned for a moment. He wanted to ask Lee Ann just exactly what her relationship to Seth was, but he didn’t know her well enough. Seth was a strange man.

  Seth walked for a long while. Damn you, Morgan! Everywhere I look, I’m reminded of you. It’s been nearly a year since I saw you, and still I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind for even a few hours.

  I want you! He stopped walking and stared at the moon. It was a revelation. No matter what you’ve done, I still want you, Morgan.

  But how? He couldn’t just walk into that fancy house in San Francisco and demand to see her. What could he offer her that she didn’t already have? Why would she leave the wealth and luxury she had in California to return to a little dirt-poor ranch in New Mexico? He couldn’t expect that of her. She had her choice of men. Already all of San Francisco worshipped her beauty.

  Money! That was the answer. He would go to her when he could lay diamonds at her feet. His eyes narrowed. Or sapphires, like the ones she wore at Montoya’s party. Whatever she wanted he would give to her. He loved her. It was time he admitted that to himself. He felt as if a great burden had been lifted from him.

  Purposefully, he strode back towards the tent. He had to see to Lee Ann. He owed her a great deal.

  “Lee Ann.” He burst into the tent. She and Johnny drew apart from their first tentative kiss. Seth knew then that he could use Johnny to repay Lee Ann. “Johnny, how’d you like to move in with us? Lee Ann would love to have you, and maybe the two of us could make a little money.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Lee Ann stared at Seth. She had never seen him so animated. It had crossed her mind that he might be jealous, and she was willing to give up Johnny for Seth. What ever had caused the smile on his face now?

  Lee Ann thought Seth had worked hard before, but it was nothing to what she saw now. The three of them worked together in the fields. No longer were Lee Ann’s days taken up with just cooking and caring for Seth. Sometimes the three of them rode into San Francisco. Lee Ann and Johnny spent the days looking at the new shops and houses which seemed to spring up overnight in the rapidly growing city. But Seth never joined them.

  Seth realized that San Francisco was going to grow. Hundreds of people poured into the town every day. The gold fever attacked them like a disease. Many of these people would eventually settle here. He began using the gold he found to buy land. He rented land to the gold diggers. He leased it to men to put up new buildings. But he never sold it. What he bought, he held onto.

  Johnny and Lee Ann were content to let Seth use their money for them. But after eight months, they were tired of living in a tent. They wanted to get married and buy a little home of their own. Seth tried to persuade them to hold onto their land, but they wanted out. Seth bought their shares of land from them.

  Their wedding was quiet and Seth envied them their joyful faces. How he wished he and Morgan could have met one another normally and had an ordinary courtship. They might still be together.

  It won’t be long, Morgan, he vowed.

  Seth missed Lee Ann and Johnny. Without Lee Ann there to make sure he ate, he lost weight. And he worked even longer hours. He dedicated himself to panning more gold and to collecting his rents and buying more land. He noticed little else.

  “Hello.”

  Seth looked up to see a woman with red hair and a too-generous mouth. Her clothes were dirty, but had once been good.

  “Hello.” He smiled back.

  “Well. Well! Won’t I be the envy of every woman in this here camp? Mr. Good-Lookin’ hisself has spoken to me.”

  Seth looked puzzled.

  The woman laughed loudly. “You ought to know, honey, that every woman in camp has been pantin’ after you. Not only are you the best-lookin’ man here, you make the other women’s men all look lazy.”

  Seth liked her easy openness. “Well, I guess we ought to remedy that. How about if we get out of the sun and sit a spell?”

  “Wowee. I sure would like that, Mr….”

  “Blake. Seth Blake.”

  “Seth?”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing really. Just the name Seth reminds me of someone. My name’s Jessy.”

  “Well, Jessy, I’m very glad to make your acquaintance.”

  Seth brought Jessy a tin cup of water, laced generously with whiskey.

  “Real good water,” she smiled. “Your woman about?”

  “I don’t have one. Not here, anyway.”

  Jessy propped herself on one arm and studied Seth. He sat on a wooden box and leaned against the tent pole. His massive legs were spread in front of him. She imagined him without his clothes. She liked her imaginings very much.

  “How’d you like to have a roommate?”

  Seth looked at Jessy’s unwashed hair, at the dirt on her neck. He grinned at her, showing dimples. “That’s the best offer I’ve had all day, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass.”

  “Mmmm. Too bad. Maybe I could do a little cookin’ for you?”

  “Now that I’d like.”

  “Well, then … thanks for the drink and I’ll be seein’ you. Maybe we’ll work out somethin’, Seth. A man like you is too temptin’ to give up after just one try.”

  Seth went back to his work. Jessy’s visit cheered him. True to her word, she brought a heaping plate of indescribable stew. Lee Ann’s cooking had been a royal feast compared to Jessy’s.

  “Could I get you anything else?” Jessy asked when he’d finished. “Maybe you could use a little company overnight?”

  Seth laughed and thanked her for both the food and her offer, but declined.

  Jessy hadn’t been so attracted to a man since she’d been sold at Madame Nicole’s. Jessy always remembered Madame Nicole’s as the height of her career, for she’d made her body her career. She loved men, and they loved her open easiness, her willingness to laugh.

  Jessy had been bringing Seth meals for nearly a month when she first mentioned Morgan.

  “You know, I guess I’ll always be partial to any man named Seth. I knew a girl once, a real beauty, who was married to man named Seth. You never saw anybody so in love—real love, you know what I mean? Well, her Seth was killed, and you would of thought it was the end of the world. A neighbor, can you beat that, a neighbor, killed her husband and because she wouldn’t bed the guy, he sold her to a Frenchman and his Apaches. That’s when I met her. She cried all the way across the country for her Seth. The first few weeks she kept hopin’ she was gonna have his kid. When she found out she wasn’t, I thought she was gonna go crazy…

  “Oh well, I’m boring you. I gotta go.”

  “No!”

  Jessy turned to look at Seth. His eyes were fierce and he almost frightened her. His hand on her arm hurt her.

  “Tell the rest of your story.” His voice was harsh.

  Jessy was puzzled. Maybe he’d seen Madame Nicole’s show and knew
enough of the story already to know who she was talking about. Jessy straightened up and ran a hand through her tangled hair. Maybe he remembered her being in the show.

  “Oh, Lord. All kinds of things happened to us. The Frenchman sold us to a whorehouse, Madame Nicole’s. It’s a real classy place. Maybe you’ve been there?”

  She watched Seth’s nod.

  “We didn’t work there. They auctioned us off. Morgan brought the highest price.”

  Jessy failed to notice Seth’s whitened face. “What happened to her, this Morgan?”

  “Well, Madame Nicole sold her to a pretty-boy, you know what I mean? I thought it was a dirty trick, but Morgan didn’t care. All she ever talked about was her Seth. Me, I’d rather have a live one than a dead one, no matter how great a man the dead one was.

  “Hey, you all right? You don’t look so good. My story do that to you, or my cookin’?”

  “I guess it’s the sun. I’ve had too much sun.”

  “Well, you don’t look good at all, like you was taken sick. You better stay out of the sun the rest of the day. I really gotta go now. You need anything, just holler.” She touched Seth’s forehead. “You are a little warm. I’ll come back later and check on you.”

  “Oh, God! Morgan, what have I done to you?” He sat on the little camp stool, his head in his hands. “What ever have I done?”

  He started walking, as he always did when he was upset, toward the top of the mountain. Memories began to flash before his eyes, more vivid this time than ever before.

  He saw the Montoya party. Marilyn had told him that Morgan and Joaquín huddled together in corners. But he saw that in a new light now. He knew Marilyn, knew her well enough to remember that she lied and schemed to get what she wanted. Marilyn would have been angry about his marriage, would have wanted him to think his wife had lovers.

  The note! Why had she written the note? Jessy had said Joaquín had tried to force Morgan into his bed. He could have forced her to write the note. But why? She must have known he wouldn’t release her after what she had learned about him. But Morgan wouldn’t know that. She had such trust in people.