The Enchanted Land

  Morgan went to investigate the pictures—they were all of one little girl. She looked questioningly at Gordon.

  “Don’t you recognize her?”

  “They’re … that’s me, isn’t it?”

  “Every one of them. These were your toys. When my father and Uncle Charley built the house, he had the pictures put into the room. It’s been more or less a shrine. Your father spent hours in here. Sometimes, after a letter arrived, he’d lock himself in here for an entire day. I’m glad there’ll be a little more life in here now.”

  Morgan laughed. “With Adam, you don’t have to worry about any place being dull—or quiet. Adam!” She tried to be heard over his shouts of happiness about the rocking horse. “Let’s go eat breakfast.” Adam stopped rocking immediately and quietly climbed off the horse. Seeing Gordon’s puzzled stare, Morgan explained: “Eat. That’s a magic word with Adam.”

  Gordon took Adam to breakfast. Morgan dressed in a sturdy cotton gown, one that fit perfectly and accented her curves. Then she joined them. Both Adam and Morgan ate heartily of the food Roselle prepared.

  After breakfast, Roselle asked to keep Adam in the kitchen with her. Morgan consented, and while Gordon attended to the business of the ranch, she explored the house and gardens.

  At lunch, Martin watched Adam constantly, and anticipated his every need. Morgan sighed, knowing that all the attention was not good for her impressionable son. When Adam began rubbing his eyes, Morgan took him to his room for his afternoon nap.

  Gordon returned to the house and asked Morgan to go riding with him, to see some of the ranch. They rode along the little river and Morgan found an ideal place for picnics under a grove of cottonwoods. When she dismounted the mare Gordon had given her, she tripped and grabbed at her saddle to catch herself.

  Gordon caught her in his arms, holding her close to him. “I’m sure that this will be the highlight of my day.”

  “Oh, Gordon,” she laughed, as she stepped away, “you’re always teasing, just like…” She left her sentence unfinished.

  Gordon’s eyes were serious. “Believe me, Morgan, I am totally serious.” She turned away to hide the consternation that flooded her face. She wasn’t ready yet. Seth was too real to her. When his memory faded, then she’d be able to look at another man.

  The candlelight dinner, alone with Gordon, was pleasant and Morgan relaxed with him. “To my beautiful little foster cousin, who changed into an even more beautiful woman,” he lifted his glass to her.

  Early the next morning, she heard Adam in the hallway. She opened her bedroom door and her small son found his mother’s room. She crawled back into bed, watching him wander about the room, looking at rugs, touching jars on Morgan’s dressing table, and knocking on the door that connected Morgan’s bedroom to another room.

  “There’s no one there, Adam.” Morgan rolled over and found herself looking into Gordon’s amused eyes. He was standing in her open doorway. “It used to be your grandpa’s room, but now it’s empty.”

  Morgan moved down in the bed, bringing the sheets to her shoulders.

  “Do you mind if I take Adam with me today? I’d like to show him the ranch and show him to the men.”

  Morgan sat up, the covers falling away. Gordon was like an older brother. It was difficult to think of him in any other way, in spite of his protestations to the contrary. “Gordon, you don’t want to take Adam. You don’t know what he’s like. There are times when he’s more than I can handle. You’ll never get any work done.”

  “Leave him to me. If it’s all right with you, I’ll take him.”

  Gordon stepped out of the room and returned with a little sombrero. It had a beaded band on it. “I bought this in Santa Fe. I think it’ll fit.” Adam loved the hat, jumping up and down at the sight of himself in his mother’s mirror, the long nightshirt flying and looking very incongruous with the hat.

  “Are you sure you’re ready to handle that all day?” Morgan laughed.

  In answer, Gordon swept the laughing boy into his arms. “My pleasure. Now, cowpuncher, let’s get you into some other duds.”

  Morgan heard Adam’s laugh all the way to his room. She leaned back against the pillows. Yes, she thought, this is very pleasant. It was peaceful here. No memories assailed her. Gordon was wonderful, too. It would be very comfortable to fall in love with him, yes it would.

  With Adam gone, Morgan found she had too little to do. As always, she wandered toward the kitchen. Roselle was surprised when Morgan rolled up her sleeves and plunged into kneading a large mound of bread dough. They both soon forgot the notion that they were mistress and servant, and became just two women, cooking and talking together.

  “Gordon has always been such a lonely fellow, even as a little boy. My heart cried for him at times.”

  “Lonely? But Gordon doesn’t ever seem to be sad at all.”

  “He covers it with his jokes and laughter, but it is not easy to grow up without a mother.”

  “Didn’t his mother ever live with him?”

  “No. She left soon after her son was born, returning to her own people. For all the jokes he makes, Gordon takes his Comanche relatives very seriously. He has never spent much time with them. Once when he was very young, an uncle came to see him and Gordon followed him around for two weeks. His Indian uncle showed him how to dress like a Comanche and told him to be proud of his Indian blood. Gordon was very upset to find the Indian gone one morning. Now he gets so upset over what the white man is doing to the Indians.” Roselle cocked her head toward Morgan. “The men on the ranch try to forget he’s half-Indian. They don’t like the idea of an Indian boss.”

  Morgan nodded her understanding.

  Lunch was lonely for Morgan, with both Gordon and Adam away from the house. She ate in the kitchen with Roselle and Martin, but realized that her newness in the household made them shy.

  She went to her room to nap. For some reason, her thoughts of Seth were especially strong. As she removed her dress, she almost felt his hands on her body. The memory made her ache.

  Gordon arrived later with a tired, sunburned Adam. Morgan, glad to be busy, washed the child and slipped him into a clean nightshirt. He was asleep as his mother finished buttoning the gown. As she kissed her son’s cheek, she was reminded again of how much Adam resembled his father. She chastised herself for always thinking of Seth.

  At dinner, Gordon was especially happy. “You should have seen them! I never saw grown men make such fools of themselves over anyone. All day they talked baby talk to him. Calhoun especially! ‘Ooh want to go for wide on horsey?’ Adam just stared at them. Wouldn’t go to a single one of them. Stayed with me.” Gordon’s eyes gleamed with pride.

  Gordon put his hand over Morgan’s. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you are here. I’ve been rattling around alone in this big house for years. Sometimes I slept in the bunkhouse rather than be alone in here. Roselle and Martin have been the true occupants.”

  Gordon kissed her check. He was handsome, easy to laugh, and Adam adored him. What more could she want? she asked herself. Gordon’s goodnight kiss had not sent shivers down her spine as Seth’s kisses did. Don’t compare them! she told herself. As she climbed into bed, she thought again how comfortable it would be to be in love with Gordon.

  The days began to fall into a routine, and Morgan was content, if not deliriously happy. Gordon often took Adam with him in the days, and in the evening he entertained her with stories of how the men tried to entice Adam from him. It seemed they never succeeded.

  When Adam was gone, Morgan spent her mornings in the kitchen and her afternoons riding, improving her skills on the mare. Adam and she often took a picnic lunch and spent the afternoons together by the river. It was a little greener, but otherwise a lot like the place where they had spent their afternoons at the Colter ranch.

  They had been at the Three Crowns for three months when Gordon first mentioned the divorce. Seeing Morgan every day and not touching her was agony for him. He wan
ted to know how she felt about Seth. He wanted the way clear for himself, with no ghosts between them. He loved her enough to wait for her.

  They were at dinner. “Morgan, have you made any decisions about Seth?”

  Morgan looked up, startled. Even the mention of Seth’s name made her stomach contract, the skin of her scalp tighten. “I don’t want to discuss him.” Roselle’s coq au vin suddenly lost its appeal.

  Gordon watched her closely. It seemed that what her eyes said and what her lips said did not match. “Would you consider a divorce?”

  A divorce, a permanent separation from Seth, from Adam’s father. She must be sensible. “Yes, I believe it would be appropriate. But I don’t know where Seth is. I’m sure he must be found before there can be a … divorce.” She hated the word, hated the whole idea. “I don’t want to see him again.”

  “Then I’ll contact John Bradley and see what can be arranged.”

  They were quiet the rest of the meal. They had coffee outside in the courtyard. Morgan was occupied with her own thoughts. Why is the idea of a divorce so distasteful to me? Because it makes me feel like a failure? She argued with herself over the absurdity of the idea, but she knew her answer was correct. Of course, it wasn’t her fault, only Seth’s. Seth and his temper.

  “More coffee, Morgan?” Gordon interrupted her thoughts.

  Gordon knew now it was going to be a tough fight. Morgan said she hated her husband, but he could see the lie in her eyes. Something had to be done.

  When Morgan and Adam had been at the Three Crowns for six months, Gordon decided to have a welcome party. Morgan had met very few of the neighbors who sparsely dotted the countryside. She was glad to arrange the party, glad to cook, and to decorate the house. Gordon was happy to come home every night to Morgan and Adam. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t lonely. His happiness would have been complete if he hadn’t sometimes caught a glimpse of longing in Morgan’s eyes.

  Chapter Twenty

  IT was the day of the party when Gordon saw the big man riding toward him. The easy, straight way he sat his horse showed unusual confidence. Gordon watched with interest as the stranger approached. He wasn’t an ordinary drifter, and he was older than he appeared from a distance.

  “They tell me you’re the boss.” The stranger’s voice was deep, soft, very pleasant.

  “I guess I am. My name’s Gordon Matthews.” Gordon extended his hand and found it engulfed in the man’s larger one. It was hard and calloused from work.

  “Dave Blake.” He smiled and Gordon had a sudden flash of recognition. What was familiar about the man?

  “I’d like a job.”

  “What experience do you have?” Gordon knew he was going to hire the man even before he answered.

  “I used to run my father’s plantation in the East, and I’ve worked out here about six years.”

  Gordon smiled back at him. “I can always use a good hand. You’re on. That’s Boyd, my foreman, over there. He can put you to work.” He watched the man turn his horse and ride off. The way he moved his hands was naggingly familiar. Yet he couldn’t remember having seen this man before.

  The rest of the day, he watched Dave work. He wasn’t like most new hands. He didn’t wait to be told what to do. It was as if he’d been working on the ranch for years. The other men took to him quickly, liking the quiet way he stepped in. Yet they held him off, too, and did not bombard him with questions.

  Gordon noticed one of the younger members of the crew asking Dave what he should do when he’d finished the task Boyd had assigned him. Gordon watched his foreman for signs of hostility. But Boyd, never an ambitious man, was content to let Dave take over where he could. On the ride back to the bunkhouse, Gordon sought out the new man.

  “Dave, I watched you work today, and I want to say welcome to the Three Crowns.”

  Dave smiled at his employer, and again Gordon tried to remember whom Dave reminded him of.

  “We’re having a little party at the house tonight. Everyone’s invited. Plenty of beer and hard stuff and all the food you can eat.”

  Dave laughed, his laughter deep. “I’m afraid you might get more than you want. After a day like this, I could eat my horse—even the horseshoes. What’s the occasion?”

  “Morgan and Adam have been living with me for six months now, six very happy months.”

  “A party because two men have moved in with you.”

  Gordon was puzzled for a second, then grinned broadly. “Come tonight and meet my guests. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” He left to return to the house. Dave was certainly going to be surprised all right, after thinking of Morgan as a man.

  Adam was just running down the stairs when he saw Gordon. Morgan ran close behind Adam. The boy leaped, knowing Gordon would catch him. Gordon held Adam close and looked up at Morgan. She was beautiful. She had just washed her hair and it hung down her back, still slightly damp.

  “One of these days, he’s going to jump at someone and miss. How was your day, Gordon?”

  “Now that I’m home, it’s a beautiful day.” He kissed Morgan’s cheek, put Adam down, and the three walked to the courtyard to look at the party preparations. “I hired a new man today.”

  “Oh?”

  “The strangest thing.” Gordon had his mouth full, and Morgan looked up sharply.

  “Gordon, stop eating those! I have them arranged in a design and you’ll mess it up. Now, what was strange?”

  “This new man I hired. I know I’ve never seen him before, but I feel like I know him. The way he walks, certain ways he moves. It’s like I’ve seen them hundreds of times.”

  “Maybe you’re just imagining it.”

  “I guess you’re right. I’ll go get ready now. You going to wear that?” He looked at her everyday cotton dress.

  “Don’t be silly. I have a dress you’ve never even seen before. The silk is from Italy and it is gorgeous.”

  “With you in it, it will be.”

  Morgan watched him go, smiling. Gordon was so pleasant. She constantly wondered at herself for not being in love with him.

  Dave walked into the bunkhouse and then busied himself while listening to the men talk.

  “A real looker, ain’t she?”

  “Nearly bust my britches every day when I see her ridin’ by on that horse.”

  “Maybe a good fairy’d give me three wishes and I’d give ’em all to be that saddle.”

  “I’d rather be the horse. She can ride me bareback.”

  As the laughter exploded again, no one noticed the new man leave the room. And no one noticed that he wasn’t with them when they left for the party.

  Dave returned to the empty bunkhouse to take his time bathing and dressing. The suit fit his body closely, emphasizing his muscular frame. The silk of the shirt offset the dark, nubby weave of the vest. He took his time, and when he started toward the house, the party had been going on for hours.

  When Morgan came down the stairs, Gordon gasped. He had never seen anything quite so lovely. The emerald-green dress reflected in her eyes until they were the same color. Her hair was piled on top of her head in large, fat curls, while more curls cascaded down her back, all the way to her waist. Her delicate little ears were exposed where the hair swept upward, and she wore tiny diamond-and-emerald earrings that sparkled when she moved. The dress hung just off her shoulders and low across her breasts.

  “Morgan, you’re more beautiful then I thought possible. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Do you like my hair?” She turned around and he touched a soft curl.

  “It’s lovely. I’ve never seen so much hair in my life.” He looked at her questioningly. “Is that all yours?”

  Morgan giggled. “Sir, it is not at all polite to ask a lady what on her person is real and what is not.”

  Gordon eyed her voluptuous figure. “At least I know some things are genuine.”

  Morgan laughed at his compliment. “Shall we go?”

  Gordon to
ok her arm and leaned close to her. “You smell nice, too.” His lips touched her cheek and moved slowly to her waiting lips. His kiss was gentle, soft, and very pleasant. Morgan smiled up at him. She enjoyed his kisses, and might even grow to love them.

  All eyes turned toward them as they entered the courtyard. For the thousandth time, Gordon wished Morgan’s father had written his will to specify that his daughter must marry Gordon. He had hinted broadly, but Uncle Charley had laughed and said that feudal times were past, that the will he was writing was bad enough. He wanted to insure that Morgan would have her choice of several men.

  For Morgan, the party was too much like the party at Joaquín Montoya’s. The couples, all strangers, mumbled polite wishes as Gordon introduced her. He was so proud of her, he fairly strutted. She liked being beside him and felt comfortable on his arm.

  Morgan hardly knew any of the ranch hands, having seen them only from a distance. After “good evenings” were exchanged, neither she nor Gordon noticed their conspiratorial looks.

  Morgan had been standing for hours. She must have said “thank you” a thousand times. The faces of the people ran together and she had long ago given up trying to remember their names. She was considering going upstairs to check on Adam, but she had already used that excuse to escape twice.

  She smiled at a large woman in a purple satin dress. Lord, but I hate that color, she thought. She saw Gordon coming toward her. Maybe she could persuade him to take her upstairs for good. She frowned slightly as she saw him veer off to the right, to the shadows a little behind her.

  “Dave! I thought you weren’t coming. I want you to meet the ‘man’ I’m giving the party for. Remember, I told you you’d be surprised.

  “Morgan, I’d like you to meet the new hand I hired today, Dave Blake.”

  Gordon watched Dave’s face for his reaction. “Dave, this is Morgan Colter.”