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“I only just found out. Mr. Armstrong mentioned it when I was at the store yesterday. Do you remember Mary Caldwell? She was a few years older than you, but apparently she’s just moved back to take over her parents’ farm. He was joking about how she’d probably end up married to one just like Nelly.”
The shopkeeper’s daughter had married an alien and gone off to live with him on the old Wainwright ranch in the mountains. It had been quite a scandal at the time, but that had been almost six years ago and the town had somewhat reluctantly accepted it. The fact that the ranch had also increased the amount of trade flowing through Wainwright had definitely helped.
“Aliens?” Dora shuddered. “Human men are bad enough. Alien men are even worse.”
She spoke with unusual vehemence and Tommy’s eyes widened.
“Why is men bad?” he asked, and Ida shot her daughter a warning glance.
“They’re not all bad,” Dora said with an apologetic smile. “I bet you grow up to be a good one, squirt.”
He puffed out his little chest and beamed.
“I already is. Mr. Raven said I was the man of the house now.”
No doubt he’d meant well, but the last thing she wanted was for Tommy to take the weight of their problems on his six year old shoulders.
“How about you just be a good boy for now?”
“Unh-uh. I’s the man.” Before she could respond, he tugged on her skirt. “Can I go back and play with Lucas again?”
“Maybe tomorrow. We’re all going to take a ride out to the country this afternoon to look at a new house.”
“Away from Lucas? But he’s my bestest friend.”
“He can still be your best friend, even if we don’t live next door.”
“I ‘spose.”
He didn’t look convinced, so she gave him a quick hug.
“He could always come and visit. And you’ll have lots of room to run and play “
The despondent look vanished. “Can I go tell him?”
“Later,” she said firmly. “Right now I need to find the little boy underneath all this dirt.”
He giggled as she ushered him out of the room, and she found herself hoping that the new house really would be a new start for all of them.
CHAPTER 2
An hour later, a clean Tommy was bouncing excitedly on the carriage seat next to Ida as they set off. Like most of their possessions, the carriage had a certain decayed grandeur. It had been a gift from her father, and he’d always wanted the best for her. When his health started to decline and he’d reluctantly decided it was time for her to get married, he’d handpicked Abner as the most promising candidate. He’d thought a respectable widower with a young daughter would provide her with a secure, peaceful future.
As much as she missed him, she was sometimes glad he hadn’t lived to see the reality behind Abner’s prosperous appearance. He’d been living on good will and credit, and her dowry had quickly disappeared into the seemingly bottomless well of his debts. The inheritance her father had left her had disappeared just as quickly. Unfortunately, she hadn’t realized until it was too late.
Pushing aside the unhappy memories, she smiled as Lady tossed her head. The dapple grey mare—another present from her father—was getting on in years, but she seemed to appreciate the warm spring morning and the opportunity to stretch herlegs. With any luck, a house outside of town would provide the opportunity for Lady to graze—a nice change from her current small livery stable.
She’d chosen a burgundy dress and wearing a color for the first time in over a year gave a surprising lift to her spirits. Even Dora appeared more cheerful, looking around curiously as Angel chortled happily on her lap. Perhaps this move would work out for all of them.
“I’ve never been out this way before. It’s pretty country.”
It was. Low rolling hills, covered with the soft green haze of spring, stretched out towards the horizon, interspersed the thickets of trees running along the banks of numerous creeks and streams, still swollen with winter runoff from the mountains behind them.
“I haven’t either, but Mrs. Caldwell, Mary’s mother, always used to say that Happy Valley was the prettiest place around.”
“Happy Valley? Where the aliens live?”
Dora frowned when Tommy’s eyes widened with excitement.
