Chapter 37: Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

~A letter is an unannounced visit, the postman the agent of rude surprises.~ —Friedrich Nietzsche

“Jake, we’ve come to take you back to the Cora Belle!” Sam stated as he and two other fellows marched into the library where Jake was browsing through a book.

“Ah, I see you’ve finally remembered about the invalid,” Jake replied, looking up from the pages filled with endless words. “I was almost beginnin’ to worry you were gettin’ along fine without me, and that I would be forced to remain on the Circle 4.”

“Not in yer life you wouldn’t,” said Slim, a very tall, very lanky fellow who seemed to be composed of only legs and arms. “The boss is wonderin’ what on earth is takin’ you so long. He finally got tired of waitin’ and sent us to fetch ya.”

“Are you…readin’?” Sam asked in a voice that was both confused and teasing at the same time. He snatched the book out of Jake’s hands and read out the title. “~Rob Roy~.” He glanced at Jake with raised eyebrows.

“Dannie named her dog after the title character,” Jake defended himself. “I just wanted to know what sort of a person this Rob Roy was.”

“Right!” The three Cora Belle cowboys exchanged glances and burst out laughing. Jake rolled his eyes, grabbed the book from Sam, and put it back on the shelf.

“How’s the leg?” Sam asked once they’d had enough of laughing.

“Leg’s fine, thank you,” Jake snapped. “Even went ridin’ several times. I’ve still got a bit of a limp, but Mr. Martin says it’s just a matter of time. Within a week or two, I should be walkin’ around as good as new.

“That’s great!” Sam grinned at Jake. “I have to say, Jake, I don’t know what sort of stars you were born under, but they sure as hell worked their wonders. I didn’t think any man could survive what you went through, an’ what is more, still manage to get completely better.”

“I wouldn’t think it was the stars, lucky or unlucky, that helped me this time,” Jake replied. “I’d say it was the grace of God and a very determined woman.”

“Ah, yes,” Joe, the third fellow, spoke up. “Sam wus tellin’ us about yer nurse, and we’s all curious about the only woman Jake ever allowed to come within a mile of him.”

“Yeah, Jake, where is Dannie?” Sam put in.

“Out doing somethin’. It’s not like she has to watch me anymore. I’m gettin’ by fine on my own two feet.”

“So, that means we won’t see her?” Joe’s face became downcast.

“Why not? She’s here on the ranch. Though why you all are so dying to see her is beyond me.” Jake wasn’t exactly eager for a pair of women-starved cowboys meet his Dannie.

A knock sounded on the door, and everyone turned to face it.

“Jake, Grace said you were… Oh.” Dannie froze in the doorway when she realized there were four men in the room.

“Dannie, these are a couple of the fellas from the Cora Belle. They’ve come to drag me home,” Jake said. “You know Sam, of course, but this is Slim and Joe.”

“Pleased to meet you, gentlemen.” Dannie gave the men a smile.

“Fellas, this here is Danielle Preston.”

“We’ve heard a lot about ya, Miss,” Joe said as he whipped off his hat and gave her a small bow of greeting.

“Oh, from whom?”

“Sam, who else? He says it was you that pulled Jake through.”

“Nonsense, all I did was what Mr. Martin instructed.”

“Miz Preston, you are far too modest,” Sam said. “I’ll bet you are glad you don’t have to nanny Jake anymore, though. How you managed to be with him in one room for so long is beyond me.”

Jake scowled at him. Why were they all so determined to paint his already black reputation even blacker?

“It wasn’t that bad,” Dannie chuckled.

“An’ might I add you are looking mighty fine today.”

“Thank you, Mr. Carthwrite.”

“Though not quite as pretty as Miz Martin,” Slim spoke out. An eerie silence suddenly came over the room as four sets of eyes turned toward him. Dannie set her jaw and gave a forced smile.

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate your sentiments, Slim,” she said. “Jake, if you are hungry, there is food in the kitchen. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some things to do. It was nice to make your acquaintance, Slim, Joe.” She nodded to each of them and exited the room.

“Miz Preston, wait.” Sam flew out after her. “I’m—I’m terribly sorry about what Slim said. He’s, uh, he’s not exactly known to have any brains. We keep him on the ranch only because he’ll get himself killed if he goes anywhere else.”

“Don’t trouble yourself, Mr. Carthwrite, I quite understand.” Dannie hurried away before Sam could say anything else. She sought out the solitude of the back porch and sat on the wooden steps. Something wet touched her hand. She glanced over and saw Roy sitting next to her.

Dannie put her arms around the dog and held him close. “To think he actually said that right in front of me,” she allowed herself to fume. “I know I’m not the prettiest girl on the face of the earth, but I do have my pride. I’m well aware Sophie is prettier than me, but I certainly don’t like being reminded of the fact.”

A cough behind her made her look up. Jake leaning on the doorpost. As soon as she noticed him, he came up and sat down next to her.

“Slim’s an idiot,” he said.

“Honest, more like.”

“And in a great deal of trouble,” Jake went on. “Sam’s in there giving him a piece of hell. Blasted fool opened his mouth and got his foot stuck in it. But in all honesty, he is a bit messed in the head, if you follow me, so don’t take his words to heart.”

“Oh Jake, it is not the first time such a thing has happened to me. You have no idea how many people made a habit of comparing me to other girls, to bring out their beauty. It almost became a saying. Sort of like, you can’t appreciate light until you’ve experienced darkness, health until you’ve been sick—and you won’t know how truly beautiful a woman can be until you have compared her to Danielle Preston.”

“Dannie, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” Jake burst out. “So ya don’t look like Sophie, but that doesn’t mean you’re ugly.”

“I never said I am ugly. I am just tired of people comparing me to someone else. No matter where I go, there always seems to be someone else who is more beautiful than me.”

“But you are pretty Dannie, pretty in your own way.”

“Not pretty enough, I guess,” Dannie mumbled, but Jake heard her.

“Pretty enough for what?”

“Dannie, Dannie!” Sophie’s voice sounded out, and soon her figure appeared in the doorway. “What are you doing on the back porch?”

It was all Jake could do to keep from turning around and wringing Sophie’s head off.

Those cowboys had come to drag him off to the Cora Belle, and this was his final moment alone with Dannie, and Sophie just had to go and ruin everything. She seemed to be making a habit of it, recently.

“Is something the matter, Sophie?” Dannie asked. “Guess what? Daddy just got back from the town and brought in the mail. I took the liberty of going through it and found a letter for you.”

Dannie reached over and took the envelope Sophie handed her. “Oh, it’s from Meg!” she exclaimed joyfully.

“I hate it when she writes you,” Sophie grumbled, plopping down next to Dannie.

“Why would you ever hate it?” Dannie asked in surprise, opening the envelope and pulling out the letter.

“Because when you get post from her, you completely forget about my existence. All you can talk about is Meg, Meg, Meg.”

“Sophie, did anyone ever tell you that you are a spoiled, selfish little female?” Jake barked. “Mr. and Mrs. Martin have my every respect, but somewhere along the line you were spoiled rotten. I’m thinkin’ it was probably Carolina who did it.”

“Oh Jake,” Sophie rolled her eyes, “do the world a favor and bite your tongue. What did she write, Dannie?”

“Just the comings and goings of society in New York. I think she’s still convinced that she can persuade me to return back East.”

“Just you try to return! I shall ask Sheriff Grant to lock you up in the jail and never let you out!”

The back door opened, and Mr. Martin stepped out to greet them. “Ah, there you are, Dannie,” he said with a smile. “I was looking for you.”

Jake could not believe it. Why did everyone suddenly want to find Dannie today? Couldn’t they wait till tomorrow? He huffed angrily, though no one seemed to notice.

“Is something the matter, Mr. Martin?” Dannie asked him.

“Cal Jenson came running out to me just as I was leaving town and handed me this,” he replied. “For some reason, it was delivered to the bank. It’s another letter from Mr. Richardson.”