negative response almost slipped out, but she remembered her promise to her father in time and nodded. âYes, that will be acceptable.â
He grinned and bowed. âThen I shall look forward to seeing you again. Thank you, Miss Carlyle.â
Amelia said goodnight to Philip and closed the door behind him. She sighed and leaned against the leaded glass panel. Tonight had been enjoyable to a degree, but not the most exciting one sheâd experienced.
How different was Ben from this stiff, egotistic young man who had just left. Ben asked her opinion and how she felt about life. He cared about her. If only Papa would look at the good qualities in Ben and not at the distance he lived from Boston, he would find a level-headed young man who knew what he wanted out of life.
Amelia raced up the stairway to the landing but paused to walk sedately past her parentsâ closed door. No need to make noise and disturb them. Besides, she didnât want to discuss with them her evening with Philip.
In her room she flopped on the bed, giving no mind to the formal dress she wore. She slipped off her shoes and wiggled her toes in their white stockings. She grinned at the memory of the wedding and Benâs finding her shoeless at her table. He hadnât minded at all. Benâs easy manner had made the years disappear and renewed their friendship.
No matter what Papa and Mama wanted from her for the future, sheâd never forget Ben. Her feelings for him made her feel good, but at the same time they hurt and left her with many unanswered questions. Were her feelings for Ben strong enough to endure the opposition of those she held most dear, her own parents? As yet, she did not know.
Chapter 11
B en reined his horse in and turned back toward the ranch. The herd was in good shape, and he wanted to get home for a hot meal and warm fire. The long, heavy wool coat he wore shielded the wind from his body, and thick wool socks protected his feet inside the leather boots, but the cold still penetrated to the very core of his being. Although no snow had fallen as yet, the November wind bit into his flesh like pellets of ice. Soon the land would be covered in the white powder, and that made taking care of the stock even more difficult.
Four other ranch hands rode ahead of him, heads and shoulders hunched against the biting wind. All were anxious to get to the bunkhouse and warm up. This had been a hard year with the drought following the grasshoppers of last year, but the major portion of the herd survived and would be ready for market come spring.
Three weeks had passed since heâd written his first letter to Amelia. After that night on the prairie, heâd come home and bared his heart to her. Her reply was folded and in the shirt pocket over his heart. He had read it to memorize the lines until the creases began to wear through.
She had not changed her mind at all about wanting to come to Kansas. Amelia mentioned very little of her activities, but his sister Mary Beth kept him informed along those lines. In addition, stories and anecdotes about her relationship with Andrew Farnsworth filled her letters. Ma worried that life in Boston would cause his sister to desire to remain there, and from what Ben had observed, Ma had every right to worry.
As long as Amelia didnât harbor any feelings toward the young men who called on her, the fact that she obeyed her father pleased him. She respected her father, and that spoke to her strong adherence to the foundations of her faith, even if it kept them apart until he could convince Mr. Carlyle he was worthy of Amelia.
When they approached the ranch house, he waved good-bye to the men and headed up to the house while they turned to the bunkhouse. He opened the door to the warmth spread by both the fireplace and the kitchen wood stove. Something smelled good too. If his nose didnât deceive him, Ma had used some of her dried apples to make a pie. His stomach rumbled in
He grinned and bowed. âThen I shall look forward to seeing you again. Thank you, Miss Carlyle.â
Amelia said goodnight to Philip and closed the door behind him. She sighed and leaned against the leaded glass panel. Tonight had been enjoyable to a degree, but not the most exciting one sheâd experienced.
How different was Ben from this stiff, egotistic young man who had just left. Ben asked her opinion and how she felt about life. He cared about her. If only Papa would look at the good qualities in Ben and not at the distance he lived from Boston, he would find a level-headed young man who knew what he wanted out of life.
Amelia raced up the stairway to the landing but paused to walk sedately past her parentsâ closed door. No need to make noise and disturb them. Besides, she didnât want to discuss with them her evening with Philip.
In her room she flopped on the bed, giving no mind to the formal dress she wore. She slipped off her shoes and wiggled her toes in their white stockings. She grinned at the memory of the wedding and Benâs finding her shoeless at her table. He hadnât minded at all. Benâs easy manner had made the years disappear and renewed their friendship.
No matter what Papa and Mama wanted from her for the future, sheâd never forget Ben. Her feelings for him made her feel good, but at the same time they hurt and left her with many unanswered questions. Were her feelings for Ben strong enough to endure the opposition of those she held most dear, her own parents? As yet, she did not know.
Chapter 11
B en reined his horse in and turned back toward the ranch. The herd was in good shape, and he wanted to get home for a hot meal and warm fire. The long, heavy wool coat he wore shielded the wind from his body, and thick wool socks protected his feet inside the leather boots, but the cold still penetrated to the very core of his being. Although no snow had fallen as yet, the November wind bit into his flesh like pellets of ice. Soon the land would be covered in the white powder, and that made taking care of the stock even more difficult.
Four other ranch hands rode ahead of him, heads and shoulders hunched against the biting wind. All were anxious to get to the bunkhouse and warm up. This had been a hard year with the drought following the grasshoppers of last year, but the major portion of the herd survived and would be ready for market come spring.
Three weeks had passed since heâd written his first letter to Amelia. After that night on the prairie, heâd come home and bared his heart to her. Her reply was folded and in the shirt pocket over his heart. He had read it to memorize the lines until the creases began to wear through.
She had not changed her mind at all about wanting to come to Kansas. Amelia mentioned very little of her activities, but his sister Mary Beth kept him informed along those lines. In addition, stories and anecdotes about her relationship with Andrew Farnsworth filled her letters. Ma worried that life in Boston would cause his sister to desire to remain there, and from what Ben had observed, Ma had every right to worry.
As long as Amelia didnât harbor any feelings toward the young men who called on her, the fact that she obeyed her father pleased him. She respected her father, and that spoke to her strong adherence to the foundations of her faith, even if it kept them apart until he could convince Mr. Carlyle he was worthy of Amelia.
When they approached the ranch house, he waved good-bye to the men and headed up to the house while they turned to the bunkhouse. He opened the door to the warmth spread by both the fireplace and the kitchen wood stove. Something smelled good too. If his nose didnât deceive him, Ma had used some of her dried apples to make a pie. His stomach rumbled in
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