11. Assurances and Arguments

 

       After Trooper was satisfied that I was safely tucked in on my side of the buckboard, he clicked his tonuge and the horse started forward. We rode out of town and turned down a lane where a grove of tree had been planted oddly in the middle of nowhere.

"Are you sure you are.....?" Trooper began but I interrupted

"Trooper!"  "Seriously, I'm fine", I said, trying to assure him.

He gave me an unconvinced sideways glance that clearly gave away his thoughts.

I sighed.

"Look Troop, I really am fine, I just got roughed up a bit, I appreciate your concern."   "From the bottom of my heart, I really do, but I'm feeling better every minute." I said cheerfully.

Giving me one last look-over, he turned his head back toward the horses. Suddenly it was like something had dawned on him. His head whipped to look at me again, this time with a wide grin plastered across his face.

"What?" I asked

"You called me Troop"

My mind swirled with thoughts to defend myself. Had I really called him by a..............nickname?! It was as if I was already treating him like a brother by teasing him. My face flushed scarlet and I dropped my head, hopping he would let it go. Of course he didn't.

"How come I don't get a nickname to call you?" he said with mock stubborness.

"I never meant to call you by your nickname, it was an accident and, and.....................oh, let's just forget it. I stuttered, eager for a way to end the conversation.

  Soon, with a deep sigh of relief, I saw my late-aunts house came into view. It still took my breath away. I mentally noted that I wanted to move out of the hotel tomorrow and bring my things here.

Troop stopped the horses and leaped off, coming around to help me down once more. Swishing my skirts and smoothing them out, I walked confidently toward the house. Josie must have been watching us from the window because before I reached the front step, she shot out and had her arms around my waist in a second. I smiled, she almost reminded me of a little sister.

Trooper came up and said hello, which she responed with a nod before hussling me into the house.

"Oh Tara, I'm so glad your here, I've been awful lonely this past day or so and with no one to tell me what to do.........well, I haven't done much of anything." she chattered.

"Well, we have some things to do now." I said.

"Lets get some cleaning supplies and get to work!"

Josie led the way and soon we had Trooper working outside doing some of the laborous work while Josie and I chatted and dusted the furniture.

"Josie, ever since I have met you, something has been bothering me." I began.

Her face took a serious look and her grey eyes seemed to stare into me as she waited for me to continue.

"What do you have against Trooper?"

Her face turned a shade of pink as she began,

"Well, you see, a year or two back, Trooper came a'courting my elder sister, Elsie."  "Elsie was practially perfect, she was everything a girl needed to be a wife and she was pretty, kind, graceful in walk, pleasant to talk to, she could cook like a 30 year chef, she could do decent work, she played piano and was very educated."  "Everyone thought that they would be married before the year was out."  "They were a perfect pair." Josie's eyes grew tearful as her voice filled with emotion.

I laid my dusting rag down and reached for her hand. She smiled and continued.

"One evening in the middle of winter, Trooper came around to the house to ask Papa for Elsie's hand in marriage. Papa of course agreed and Trooper was so excited, he decided it would be best to ask her right away. He took her to the lake on the far side of our property. He led her out by their favorite tree and as he knelt down to propose, he realized that he had brought them too close to the edge of the lake and the ice broke, sending both of them plunging down into the freezing water."

"Trooper was a good swimming and was out in a mere minute but my sister did have one weakness, she was very frail and weak. She wasn't able to get out from under the broken ice and she drowned in the freezing water. I honestly think Trooper still blames himself to this day for what happened and I have to admit everytime I see him, it brings back memories of Elsie, which is probably why I am so cold to him most of the time, but that is no excuse." Josie finished and reached for a tissue, blowing her nose.

I sat back in one of the rocking chairs that was in the room. That explained why he was so concered about me earlier. Poor Trooper had been through so much. It nearly broke my heart to think of this happening to him, so trusting and compassionate.

"But you remind me of Elsie and I think Trooper thinks so too" Josie said, interrupting my thoughts.

"What?!"

"Yeah, you kinda look like her and you act like her too, very pretty, elegant and kind." Josie compliments turned my face a light pink.

She giggled and said "Elsie blushed quite a bit too."

"Oh stop" I said smiling, my face now aglow in a red aura.

Just then Trooper popped his head through the doorway and said,

"Aren't you girls getting hungry?"

"I am" I replied.

Josie nodded her head in agreement and gathering up our supplies, we put them away and began to look in the kitchen for some dinner.

"How does some chicken salad sandwiches sound?" Josie called to Trooper, who was dusting off the table, making it presentable to eat on.

"Sounds great" he called back.

Josie got the salad and bread while I searched for dishes. After making the sandwiches and saying grace, we dug in.

"How much work did you get done outside?" I asked Trooper.

"Good bit," he said in-between bites,"But there is still a few things I want to finish up around the house before checking the rest of the property."

"Oh that reminds me, I was wondering if you would meet me early tomorrow morning and help me move from the hotel to here?"

Josie set down her sandwich and squealed.

"Really?" "Already?"

"Sure, why not?" I said.

"Sounds good,I'll gather up a few of my things and set up camp in one of the other buildings." Trooper said.

After doing up the dishes and saying goodbye to Josie, Trooper hitched the horses and aftering helping me up, we turned and began the journey home.

I was glad we had started out when we did because it was already growing dark and we had a half an hour ride back to town.

"Thanks Trooper, for helping Josie and me out, you really don't have to." I said.

"Course I do, somebody has to make sure you girls don't get yourselve hung up by your petticoats while putting up wallpaper or something," he replied grinning.

My face still red at the mention of petticoats, I tried to change the subject.

"So um, Josie and me got to talking and she happened to mention  Elsie and I....."

Before I could finish, he face took a darker look, almost as if he was angry. I watched him carefully and thought perhaps that this wasn't the best subject to pick.

"What did she tell you about Elsie?" he asked rather angrily

"Um she just said that.........well, she told me how Elsie....." None of the right words seemed to flood my mind, they all seemed foolish and uncaring.

"Did she tell you how I killed her?" he asked, his voice raising an octive, taking a darker sound I'd ever heard from him.

" Trooper, I wasn't...."

But he cut me off again saying,

"What, did she mention how much she hates me or how her parents couldn't stand the sight of me?"   "How I ruined her life?" "WELL!?" he was now yelling and I had scrunch back into the seat, leaning almost off the buckboard.

Suddenly he stopped the horses. Even in the dim, last rays of sunlight that colored the sky, I could see his face flushed with angry, his hands tightly gripping the reigns. I didn't move, afraid of what he might do in this moment of wrath.

Then, he turned to me and with a loud voice he neary yelled,

"I never asked you about your background, never bothered to dig into your personal life."  "I figured it was none of my business."  "Everyone makes mistakes." "Sure, I made some stupid decisions but I held my mouth shut when I was shunned from people after the whole thing."  "And, I kept my mouth shut when you seemed to make some pretty dumb choices too." You......" his voiced trailed off, as he gazed as me.

Tears streaming down my face, I realized what an awful, awful mistake I had made ever bringing Elsie up. I now was almost standing, still as far as I could possibly get from him. Before he could say another word, I took one high leap off the buckboard and landed with an embarrassing flop, my legs failing under me.

I scurried to me feet and started running in the direction of town. We were now close enough I could see the lights of a few still-open businesses. My heart raced as I heard him call my name and then the sound of hoof beats behind me. It only made me lifted my skirts higher and pick up my pace. 

Soon, the sound got closer and as I convinced myself he was going to run me over, the horses and buckboard sped past, only to stop a few feet ahead of me. My eyes widened as my heart pounded in my chest. He leaped off the buckboard and started running toward me.

In my fear, confusion, and slight irritation, I turned off the road and through the high grass, dashing past him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him turn and follow me. By now I was huffing and buffing. My chest hurt and my lungs ached. My legs felt like jello.

I ignored the pain and kept my attention on the hotel that was now in view.

"TARA" Trooper called.

I ignored him and ran faster. I thought I was gonna past out from lack of oxgyen but I dashed around the building, flung open the door and raced up the stairs. Behind me I heard Trooper slam the door and gasp for breath as he followed.

Tara" he called again, only this time not as loud and without the energy as before. I pounded up the last flight of stairs and flew down the hallway.

Slamming my key and twisting open the lock, I whipped open my door and slammed it shut just in time to see Troopers face appear in the doorway.

I fell right at the spot and gasped for deep breaths of air. I could hear him calling, softly as not to wake anyone but loudly enough that I could hear it. After taking more deep breaths, I pulled myself up and staggered to the bed. Throwing myself on it, I heaved a sigh and fell into a unpleasant, restless sleep.