Page 83 of Cloaked in Beauty

“Are you ready?” Mama’s soft voice carried from the doorway to her chamber.

Letty pivoted, knots tightening in her belly. “Do you think I’m being too bold? What if he thinks I’m trying to run his life without giving him a say in the matter? He’s made it clear that he wants to be the one who provides for me, not the other way around.”

Mama crossed into the room and clasped both of Letty’s hands in hers. “There is little in this life we can be sure of beyond God’s authority and goodness, but when that young man looks at you, I’m reminded of the way your father looked at me. Philip loves you, Letty. Deeply. With that kind of love, nothing is impossible. If two people as opposite as your father and I could find a way to create a happy life together, you and Philip should have no trouble at all.”

They might not have had a lot of practice being mother and daughter, but somehow Mama still knew exactly what Letty needed to hear. Squeezing her mother’s hands, Letty pulled her into a hug. “Thank you.”

Daddy had been wise to designate Mama the owner of their subsidiary companies. Over these last months, Letty had the chance to see Mama interact with her employees firsthand. Not only did she lead with wisdom and a keen business acumen, but she genuinely cared about her workers. She walked the mill floor and addressed people by name, asking after their families and taking the time to listen to their concerns. No wonder so many had rushed to help when Uncle Drake had threatened her. Letty might have inherited a trust containing more money than she would ever need, but Mama had inherited the people. Of the two of them, Letty considered Mama the richer.

When they separated, Mama brushed a finger under her eye, then patted Letty’s shoulder. “Your grandmother’s on the porch swing. She and Rusty are waiting for you.”

Worries tamed for the moment, Letty allowed her excitement to take over as she trotted down the hall and out the front door. Birdsong greeted her as did a vista filled with stately pines and the calming trickle of a creek fed by the San Jacinto River.

She never grew tired of the view. Her mother’s home in Houston sported beautifully manicured gardens and the wonders of modern comforts, such as electricity and regular ice delivery, but Letty’s soul hungered for the wilds of the country and came alive whenever she visited Grandmother’s home.

“There you are.” Grandmother stilled the motion of the swing with the toe of her shoe against the porch floor. “I thought I was going to have to send Rusty in after you.”

The wolf must have sensed Letty’s anticipation, for he immediately jumped to his feet, hurried over to her, and began circling her legs. Letty chuckled and reached down to pat his head. “Ready for a run, boy?”

Rusty bounded down the porch steps, then turned back to spear her with an impatient glance.

“All right. Go fetch Carter.”

Rusty took off for the barn, where Carter would have Shadow saddled and ready.

Grandmother watched the wolf run, a nostalgic smile blooming on her face. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to miss that creature when you move into your new place.”

Letty laid a hand on her grandmother’s shoulder. “The two of you really bonded over the last few months, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I might have to consider getting a dog after you go. Mr. Foreman down the road was telling me about his blue lacys. Said he’d be willing to sell me one. Might be nice to have the company.”

Once the doctor had declared Grandmother fit enough to return to her home, she’d taken Rusty to her property outside of Houston, where he’d had lots of room to run and explore. Letty visited as often as she’d been able but not as often as she would have liked. Philip had been right about the responsibilities that came with being an heiress. The carefree adventuress she’d once been had been forced to mature into a woman of business and schedules.

She’d learned much about herself in the past six months. She didn’t care for society dinners or the gossip people seemed to feast on more than the food being served. Yet she adored worshipping in a church where hundreds of voices lifted in unified song to praise the Lord. She didn’t enjoy dress fittings or overcrowded shops where people seemed to press in on every side, but browsing the shelves of a quiet bookshop or splurging on tea and cakes with her mother in the middle of the day felt like the height of luxury.

Making friends had proven more challenging. People seemed to have a hard time seeing past the sensation of the return of the lost Radcliffe heiress. Some sought her acquaintance out of curiosity. Others were attracted to her wealth. There were a few who seemed genuinely interested in getting to know the woman behind the rumors, but Letty struggled to find time to nurture those relationships. Nurturing her relationship with her mother had taken precedence. And brought her great joy. Especially when Mama agreed to help her bring a special project to life. One very dear to Letty’s heart.

Selecting the property for the venture had been easy, but the construction had progressed more slowly than expected. She’d wanted it to be finished for her grand unveiling today, but she’d have to settle for an outer shell with an empty interior. At least the sign she’d commissioned had been completed in time to be installed.

“You know, both you and Mama will be welcome at our home as often as you can come. Heaven knows we’ll have plenty of room.”

The new place wasn’t that far. An hour by buggy at the most. Less than that on horseback, which would make regular visits easy for her as well. Shadow already knew the trail by heart, and Letty had no intention of ever losing touch with her family again.

Grandmother chuckled. “Be careful about extending open-ended invitations. I just might make a pest of myself.”

“As if you ever could.” Letty bent down and kissed her grandmother’s cheek.

“All right, all right. Enough of that.” Grandmother shooed her toward the edge of the porch. “We don’t want you to be late.” Grandmother’s eyes twinkled. “Go catch yourself a Pinkerton.”

Letty grinned as her pulse thrummed inside her veins with barely contained enthusiasm. “Yes, ma’am.”

Feeling a bit like Rusty, she bounded off the porch and over to the barn, where Carter had just brought Shadow out along with a mount of his own. Mama insisted she have a proper escort, and Letty didn’t balk. She needed the stable master’s help this afternoon to ensure her plan went off without a hitch.

Carter detached Shadow’s lead line and nodded to Letty. “Ready, miss?”

“Think you can keep up with me this time?” she teased.

He grinned. “Doubtful. But I’ll do my best.”