Chapter 22: A Father’s Cousin

~What’s past is prologue~—William Shakespeare

Dannie stared at Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin stared at Dannie. Annie sat blinking, her mouth having fallen open in shock. Mrs. Martin gave the appearance of being quite collected, but her breathing was rather quick and heavy.

“Cousin Chris,” Dannie whispered. “Father sometimes spoke of his Cousin Chris. Mr. Martin, are you that cousin?”

“~Cousin Chris~.” Mr. Martin gave a small chuckle. “No one has called me that in twenty-eight years. Twenty-eight years.” Mr. Martin looked back down at the photograph. He drew a deep breath. “Miss Preston,” he said in a slightly hoarse voice. “You’ve come out here all alone, and you are dressed in mourning. Does that mean…Robert is…dead?”

Dannie bit her lip and nodded. “Papa and Mamma were both taken by scarlet fever. It is two months since they passed away.” Her thoughts flew to the little graves at the Collingham cemetery in far, far away England.

It was a different world, one that she had once loved dearly. Now, it was nothing but a past life, something she would never return to. Dannie blinked to keep the tears away.

“Two months,” Mr. Martin repeated. “Two months ago he was alive and well, and now he’s dead? You were younger than me, Robert, by a full two years. Why must you be the one to go first?”

Mr. Martin turned away, obviously trying to control his emotions.

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Martin, for bringing you bad news so abruptly,” Dannie said softly, not quite knowing what else to say. All this was happening so suddenly. To think, of all the places she could have met her father’s long-lost cousin, it should be in a little town in the middle of nowhere.

“It’s not your fault, Miss Preston. I’m the one…well…I’m the one who never kept in communication with him all this time. I always did hope that things turned out for him, and that he was alive and well.”

Mr. Martin inhaled deeply and looked up at Dannie. “So, you are his daughter. What of your mother? Back in the day, he was head over heels in love with young Edith Farrow. Did he marry her in the end?”

“He did. Edith Farrow was my mother.”

“How did you end up all the way out here? Never mind the fact that you left England for America in the first place. To come out West all on your own, and to such a small, insignificant town—something desperate must have driven you.”

Despite everything, Dannie had to let out a small laugh. As briefly as she could, she explained about her failed romance, her time in New York, the decision to go out West, the sad situation in Clearbrook, and, finally, the reason she came to Hopewing.

“Incredible,” Mrs. Martin said at last with a shake of her head. “Providence, that’s what I will call it. Providence and nothing else. Of all the towns in Arizona Territory, you ended up in Hopewing and found yer father’s only relative.”

“It is so very strange, I cannot fully believe it myself,” Dannie confessed.

Mr. Martin gave a small smile. His face was still set in lines of shock and grief.

“We have a daughter about yer age,” Mrs. Martin went on. “And a son. We simply must have you meet them. We plan on being in Hopewing for another two or so days. As soon as possible, you must come and visit us so you can meet your family.

“I wish we could take you back to the Circle 4 with us right away, but you came to be the teacher, so of course you must live in the town. But know this, my dear, our ranch is always open to you. Treat is as your home.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Martin.” Dannie found that she could hardly speak through her emotions.

“Well, we’ll stay no longer. After four days on the road in this heat, you must be tired out. Annie, you take good care of the girl and help her find us once she’s had some rest.”

“I will, Mrs. Martin,” Annie promised.

Mr. Martin, still in a bit of a daze, remembered his manners, bid the two ladies a good day, and departed with his wife.

“Have stranger things ever happened?” Annie shook her head. “I’m sure you’ll love Sophie and Caleb Martin. They’re twins and good friends of our family.” Annie gave a little giggle and lowered her voice. “My cousin, Becky Sullen, is head over heels in love with young Caleb.”

“Oh?”

“Mmm, but she’s still a little girl, barely eighteen, and Caleb is already twenty-four and has little interest in girls. All he cares about is cattle and horses.”

“What of Sophie?”

“All Sophie cares about is cattle and horses, as well. If she had been born a boy, she’d have been the best cowboy in the area. But her parents don’t like the idea of her being out with men all the time, so they don’t let her tend to the cattle with the rest. She’s pretty and active, talks a lot, and is great fun to be around.

“Tomorrow, I’ll take you to visit them. When they come to Hopewing they stay with Mrs. Bellington, Mrs. Martin’s great-aunt.”

“All right.” Dannie smiled. Suddenly Hopewing wasn’t looking so bad, after all. The reverend’s family was kind, and her newfound relatives were welcoming. She might just find her place in the town faster than she expected.