Hanly.
Like a porcelain doll, a wealth of blonde curls escaped her bonnet, and her powder blue eyes smiled back at them.
“Momma!” Samuel shouted.
“Mrs. Hanly.” Arabella walked away from the child’s desk to greet the woman. “Sam and I were just finishing his letters and I must say he has quite a knack for learning. You should be very proud of him.”
“I am, Miss Gentry.” Jenny beamed, resting a hand on her protruding belly. “I want to thank you for taking your time with him.”
“You really don’t have to thank me at all.” Arabella smiled as Sam maneuvered around her to hug his mother by the skirts.
“Momma!” Sam piped. Releasing his mother’s skirts, he scampered toward the door. “Watch me on the swing!”
“Sam!” Jenny tossed her head aside while still smiling at the other woman. “Be careful! I don’t want to patch up another knee!”
Both women strolled toward the front door, pausing to watch young Sam, who already on the swing pumped his legs back and forth. Nervous, Arabella pressed her lips together. Watching the child climb higher and higher, she glanced over at Jenny Hanly, but refrained from telling her about the accident on the swing just this morning when her brother-in-law had dropped the child off.
“Since Sam’s father passed, Sam’s not been quite the same. I thought by sending him to school it would give him a change he needs.”
Arabella nodded her head.
“Perhaps, but then time has its own special way of healing. It took my father many years to get over my mother’s passing. The pain he felt was so immense one day he got up and left me with my aunt and uncle, and went west. I never saw him again until twelve years later.”
“Sheriff Gentry abandoned you?”
“Do you blame him?” Arabella turned away.
“No.” Jenny replied her voice solemn as her gaze fell on her son churning his legs beneath the swing. “It’s just he’s such a well-respected man in these parts. I never thought him the kind of man to wander off and leave his daughter behind.”
“No one knows our plight.” Arabella smiled at the woman. “We’ve been making up for lost time.”
“Have no fear. I will keep this between us.” Jenny replied, nodding her head. With a sad smile, she looked away. “I would give anything to have my husband back.”
“I couldn’t imagine.” Arabella tried to hide the tension in her voice. “Your brothers-in-law must be a huge help now you’re on your own.”
“Yes.” Jenny’s smile turned strained, a bit nervous.
“Especially Bray. He works very hard to see to our needs.”
Arabella felt her heart constrict. Bray Hanly worked hard to provide for Sam and Jenny. The act in itself was selfless. She instinctively surmised either he was a good man, or he lived with an immeasurable amount of guilt. Lifting her chin, Arabella drew a deep breath, and sighed. Who was she to judge Bray Hanly? She hardly knew the man, and preferred it this way.
“Mrs. Hanly, I do so apologize.” Arabella murmured, locking the door behind her. “It’s getting late, and I must get to the post office before closing.”
“No trouble at all.” Jenny smiled. “Miss Gentry, you must come to the ranch some time. Perhaps you could visit next Sunday after church?”
“What a lovely idea.” Arabella smiled back. “I’d enjoy that very much.”
Jenny beamed with pleasure. “We shall see you next Sunday.”
After Jenny and Sam departed , Arabella locked up the schoolhouse and walked to ward the town post office. She paused just outside the establishment door, and reached into her reticule, withdrawing an envelope, a letter to her Aunt and Uncle Claymore with news from Sundown. Opening the front door, she ushered herself into the one room structure with the rattling of a bell and greeted the postal clerk.
“Good day, Mr. Hauffmeyer.”
An old
Like a porcelain doll, a wealth of blonde curls escaped her bonnet, and her powder blue eyes smiled back at them.
“Momma!” Samuel shouted.
“Mrs. Hanly.” Arabella walked away from the child’s desk to greet the woman. “Sam and I were just finishing his letters and I must say he has quite a knack for learning. You should be very proud of him.”
“I am, Miss Gentry.” Jenny beamed, resting a hand on her protruding belly. “I want to thank you for taking your time with him.”
“You really don’t have to thank me at all.” Arabella smiled as Sam maneuvered around her to hug his mother by the skirts.
“Momma!” Sam piped. Releasing his mother’s skirts, he scampered toward the door. “Watch me on the swing!”
“Sam!” Jenny tossed her head aside while still smiling at the other woman. “Be careful! I don’t want to patch up another knee!”
Both women strolled toward the front door, pausing to watch young Sam, who already on the swing pumped his legs back and forth. Nervous, Arabella pressed her lips together. Watching the child climb higher and higher, she glanced over at Jenny Hanly, but refrained from telling her about the accident on the swing just this morning when her brother-in-law had dropped the child off.
“Since Sam’s father passed, Sam’s not been quite the same. I thought by sending him to school it would give him a change he needs.”
Arabella nodded her head.
“Perhaps, but then time has its own special way of healing. It took my father many years to get over my mother’s passing. The pain he felt was so immense one day he got up and left me with my aunt and uncle, and went west. I never saw him again until twelve years later.”
“Sheriff Gentry abandoned you?”
“Do you blame him?” Arabella turned away.
“No.” Jenny replied her voice solemn as her gaze fell on her son churning his legs beneath the swing. “It’s just he’s such a well-respected man in these parts. I never thought him the kind of man to wander off and leave his daughter behind.”
“No one knows our plight.” Arabella smiled at the woman. “We’ve been making up for lost time.”
“Have no fear. I will keep this between us.” Jenny replied, nodding her head. With a sad smile, she looked away. “I would give anything to have my husband back.”
“I couldn’t imagine.” Arabella tried to hide the tension in her voice. “Your brothers-in-law must be a huge help now you’re on your own.”
“Yes.” Jenny’s smile turned strained, a bit nervous.
“Especially Bray. He works very hard to see to our needs.”
Arabella felt her heart constrict. Bray Hanly worked hard to provide for Sam and Jenny. The act in itself was selfless. She instinctively surmised either he was a good man, or he lived with an immeasurable amount of guilt. Lifting her chin, Arabella drew a deep breath, and sighed. Who was she to judge Bray Hanly? She hardly knew the man, and preferred it this way.
“Mrs. Hanly, I do so apologize.” Arabella murmured, locking the door behind her. “It’s getting late, and I must get to the post office before closing.”
“No trouble at all.” Jenny smiled. “Miss Gentry, you must come to the ranch some time. Perhaps you could visit next Sunday after church?”
“What a lovely idea.” Arabella smiled back. “I’d enjoy that very much.”
Jenny beamed with pleasure. “We shall see you next Sunday.”
After Jenny and Sam departed , Arabella locked up the schoolhouse and walked to ward the town post office. She paused just outside the establishment door, and reached into her reticule, withdrawing an envelope, a letter to her Aunt and Uncle Claymore with news from Sundown. Opening the front door, she ushered herself into the one room structure with the rattling of a bell and greeted the postal clerk.
“Good day, Mr. Hauffmeyer.”
An old
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