River Queen Rose. Shirley KennedyЧитать онлайн книгу.
to you, it was brought to my attention that the 1849 California Constitution Convention gives a wife the right to own property separate from her husband. That means the hotel and farm are her property, technically speaking, of course.” Mr. Field chuckled. “Next we know, they’ll be asking for the right to vote. It’s all nonsense, but the law is the law, no matter how misguided, so make sure Mrs. Rose Peterson accompanies you tomorrow.”
Ben smiled and shook his head. “Such insanity.” Without consulting Rose, or even looking in her direction, he continued, “She’ll be here. I want this unfortunate business over and done with.”
Outside the solicitor’s office, Raymond spoke up. “There’s something I don’t understand. Did that solicitor say the farm and hotel belong to Rose now?”
Ben smiled indulgently. “Women aren’t allowed to own property. You should know that.”
Coralee threw a disapproving look at her son. “Really, Raymond, whoever heard of such a thing?”
Raymond hated to get involved in any kind of argument. He announced he wanted to go look at horses and would meet them later.
As they climbed in the wagon, Coralee pressed her lips in a disapproving line. “Wives owning their own property? What were these Californians thinking of? Did you ever hear anything so outlandish?” She turned to where Rose and Drucilla were settling themselves in the back. “Don’t bother your head about it, Rose. Ben will take care of everything. And you can rest assured you’ll always have a home with us. In fact…” With a delicate shrug she added, “It’s much too soon to even think of such a thing, but someday, when you think of marrying again, you might consider not having to change your name.”
“Why is that?” Rose asked.
“Just fancy, if you married Raymond, you could remain Mrs. Peterson and live with us forever and ever.” Coralee turned back again.
Drucilla covered her mouth to hide her laughter and jabbed an elbow into Rose’s side. “Just think,” she whispered, “you could be Mrs. Raymond Peterson. Aren’t you thrilled?”
Rose jabbed her back and softly hissed, “That’s not funny.”
Drucilla kept laughing, and Rose could hardly blame her. Much as Drucilla loved her brother, she was well aware of his shortcomings.
* * * *
At first, Archer Field’s offhand reminder to Ben that Rose must sign the papers didn’t sink in. She was far too busy at the dressmakers, where she, Coralee, and Drucilla ordered new gowns. How wonderful to have something new after wearing the same patched, faded dresses day after day for months. Such an exciting event put everything else out of her head. Not until they’d finished their shopping and were headed home did its significance strike like a bolt from the blue. Not in her wildest dreams had she thought she rightfully owned the hotel. And the farm, too? How utterly astounding. Funny, how Ben and Coralee hadn’t shown the least concern. They took for granted that their dutiful daughter-in-law would sign the papers without a murmur. She couldn’t blame them. When she married Emmet, she was well aware everything she owned now automatically belonged to him, but that was the way it was in this world and always had been. She was only a woman, after all, and women had no rights and lived their lives under their husbands’ direction.
Only now… Dear Lord! Did she really own the hotel?
“Is something wrong, Rose?” Drucilla had noticed how quiet she’d been.
“Nothing’s wrong. I…was thinking about Emmet.”
Drucilla gave a sarcastic sniff. “Of course you were.”
Her shrewd sister-in-law could always see right through her. Not the rest of the family, though. She shouldn’t tell lies, but if they knew what was going on in her head, they’d be dumbfounded. But this was ridiculous. What was she thinking of? Of course she’d accompany Ben to Mr. Field’s office tomorrow and sign the papers, like she was supposed to. Any thoughts to the contrary, she would firmly, and most definitely, put out of her mind.
Chapter 4
After they reached the farm, Rose spent the next few hours helping put provisions away, and then helping Coralee with dinner. Darkness had fallen by the time she put Lucy to bed and decided to go for a stroll. She’d tried to keep so busy she’d have no time to think about Archer Field’s startling revelation, but despite her vow to the contrary, she couldn’t get it off her mind. She headed for the barn, hoping Deke would be there. When she arrived, she found a saddled sorrel quarter horse tied outside, the saddlebags full. Was it Deke’s? She stepped inside the barn and found him sitting on a bale of hay cleaning a pistol. His face lit when he saw her. “Rose! Come sit down. I hoped I’d see you before I left.”
She sat on a bale of hay across from him, spreading her skirt decorously around her. “That’s your horse out there?”
“Yes, that’s Sidney.”
“You’re leaving? I didn’t know.”
Deke’s mouth twisted into a wry grin. “Seems your father-in-law thinks I’m a criminal.”
With a stab of disappointment, she asked, “Ben dismissed you? That’s so unfair.”
“I don’t blame him.” Unconcerned, he continued cleaning the pistol. “We Australians are none too popular around here. Thieves and murderers, the lot of us.”
“Not you. I don’t believe it.”
“Not me.”
“I could talk to him.”
“Don’t bother.” He cast a quick gaze at the crutches resting beside him. “Despite what you think, I can take care of myself. Always have, always will.”
She’d be wise not to pursue the subject. “Before you go, I need to ask—were you my husband’s second at the duel?”
Deke’s head jerked back. “Who told you that? Blimey, no. He asked me, but I turned him down. What’s more stupid than a duel? I wanted no part of it. In the end, he got another of his employees, Jake Grunion, to be his second. I was there, though. He wanted me to drive him, so I did. Now I wish I hadn’t.”
Rose’s heart wrenched. Until now, Emmet’s death hadn’t seemed real, but here was someone who’d actually been there, seen him die. Getting the words out was painful. “One thing I’ve been wondering. Was he killed instantly or did he…well, linger?”
“Instantly. No pain at all.”
She smiled in relief. “Thank you for that. I wouldn’t have wanted—”
“I understand. You can rest easy. He didn’t suffer.”
Thank goodness. Time to get away from such a depressing subject. Besides, she really wanted to talk to him about something else. “You’d never believe what I found out today…”
In great detail, she described the family’s visit to Mr. Field’s office and how Ben had readily assumed the farm and hotel now belonged to him. “Then, just as we were leaving, Mr. Field mentioned that because of the new California Constitution, I’m the one who owns the farm and hotel, and I’ve got to sign some papers in order to turn them over to Ben.”
Deke chuckled. “I’d wager that father-in-law of yours must have been surprised. How did he take it?”
“He wasn’t the least concerned, and neither was Coralee. They expect I’ll do as I’m told. They couldn’t imagine I’d do otherwise.”
“Would you?”
“Of course not. For one thing, Emmet’s family has been good to me. For another, I wouldn’t have the nerve. I can’t even imagine what their reaction would be if I told them I wasn’t going to sign the papers.”
“But you’ve been thinking about it, haven’t you?”
Deke gave her such a piercingly wise