AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Alright my dear. How about a nice supper and we can talk about this again tomorrow?”
“Is it Ok if I eat it in my room,” Melanie asked.
“Of course.”
She served herself a delicious smelling broth, took a piece of bread and left the kitchen. Before she was out of earshot, Melanie heard her mother’s hysterical voice.
“Horace, what shall we do? Our trip is in a week’s time,” she said. “I was so looking forward to it! I’ve wanted nothing more in my life than to see the world.”
“Don’t be selfish woman! This is our daughter. How can you even think of the trip at a time like this? Didn’t you see how devastated she was! She needs us and we’ll be there for her. This is her home and she was right to come.”
Her mother did not reply. Melanie proceeded to her room, her appetite suddenly gone. What was she to do now? It seemed that even at home she was unwanted. Melanie placed the plate of food on her bedside table, kicked off her boots and slipped into the bed fully clothed.
The bed had no bed sheets but she did not care. As soon as her head hit the pillow, Melanie shut her eyes and allowed the heavy lure of sleep to carry her with it.
When she next woke up, it was to a blinding light coming from the window. The sun had risen and on peering out, she estimated the time to be eleven. She must have been tired, Melanie thought, pushing her feet out of the bed. She washed her face and hands in her bathroom and returned to her room to change.
Her muscles ached and pained but a walk would straighten them out. She braced herself to face her parents again. In the hallway, a different but familiar voice reached her. Her hand flew to her mouth imprisoning the scream fighting to be let free. There was no mistaking the voice. It was Carter!
Chapter Eighteen
“I would say we had a good run with the ranch,” Melanie’s father was saying.
From the corner of his eye, Carter could see Melanie’s eyes on him. He was enjoying the visit, Carter thought to himself, matter of fact; he hadn’t felt so relaxed in a long time. He rubbed his tummy, bulging with the breakfast he had wolfed down.
“Mrs. Marriot, you’re a wonderful cook. Shall you not miss it, you know, the cooking, the home?” Carter asked and sipped on his tea.
Mrs. Marriot, whose resemblance to Melanie was astonishing in its likeness, looked at him in surprise.
“Lord no!” she exclaimed and then chuckled. “I think we planned this trip on the day we got married. I shall enjoy canvassing across the world and seeing all those places one only gets to read about.”
He could see how Melanie would look like twenty years down the line and he liked it. Mrs. Marriott was beautiful.
“You will visit us in Montana?”
“Nothing could keep us away,” she assured him.
“I would love to see those longhorns,” Mr. Marriott said. “I’ve heard so much about them.”
“Oh, there’s plenty of them,” Carter assured him. “When do you leave?”
“In a week’s time,” Mrs. Marriot said pointedly.
“Well, by then Melanie and I will have returned home.”
He saw the jut of her chin and the blaze of her eyes and he readied himself.
“No, we’re not,” she said firmly.
“Oh yes we are,” Carter countered, his own jaw set firmly.
They glared at each other with no one backing down. Mr. Marriot cleared his throat.
“You must be quite tired Mr. Taft after your journey,” Mrs. Marriot said, amusement lurking in her eyes.
Carter stifled a yawn. “You’re right, I am.”
“Come on, I’ll show you to your room. You must stay with us for a few days, while you and Melanie uuhh…” her voice trailed off and she waved her hands helplessly in the air.
