way, too.
Your friend,
John Liberty
Hannah lay the letter aside. She thought it would hurt more, knowing he had found someone he liked better than her, but surprisingly, it didn't. She was glad for him. They had been apart so long that sometimes she forgot what his voice sounded like. She put the letter in her jewelry box and decided she wouldn't write back to him. She would tell his mother to let him know she had received it and to wish him well. Then she went downstairs for supper.
Chapter 18
Hannah was quiet during supper. Becky tried to think of things to say, but she couldn't stop thinking about John's betrayal. Marian felt it was better to let Hannah be and focused on her meal. Jimmy kept kicking his feet back and forth causing Becky to give him stern looks.
"I can't wait to go to Colorado," he said.
Hannah glared at him.
"I want to ride horses and shoot Indians."
"Jimmy, we don't shoot Indians in this family," Marian said.
"But I want to! Like Kit Carson."
"I'm sure Mr. Carson's mother didn't approve of his behavior. Eat your supper," Marian said.
"Can I ride a horse?"
"Of course, you can ride a horse. I'm sure Uncle James has many horses."
"You can ride a horse here," Becky said.
"These horses are boring," Jimmy said. "I want to rope steers, too."
"These horses are civilized," Becky added.
"You can paint out there, too, Jimmy," Marian said.
"I don't want to paint anymore," Jimmy said.
"Why not?" Marian asked.
"Only sissies paint."
"Who told you that?"
Jimmy was quiet. Marian felt it best not to push him. She would ask him about it when she tucked him into bed.
"I heard from Mr. Leighton at the law firm," Marian said. "He's found a buyer for the house."
Hannah and Becky looked at Marian.
"He said we can stay until the children finish school. The buyer has allowed us three months to vacate the house."
"Then I can graduate," Hannah said.
"Yes, dear, you can graduate. We'll go to New York just as I promised you. That hasn't changed."
"We don't have to go to New York, Mama," Hannah said.
"I want to take you, Hannah."
"I don't think I want to go anymore."
"Well, if you change your mind, we will go as we planned."
Marian wanted to make all the hurt Hannah felt go away, but she knew there was nothing she could do to ease Hannah's pain. The next few months would be a whirlwind of activity as they prepared to leave their home of twenty years and Marian hoped that if Hannah was busy, she would forget John Liberty and begin to look forward to a new life in Colorado.
Evan Morgan came into her mind. She still kept his picture in a box under her bed. Would Hannah keep a picture of John Liberty under her bed?
She has to find a good man , Marian thought, a kind man who will love her as she loves him.
Becky stood and began clearing the plates from the table. Hannah stood and helped her. Jimmy ran upstairs. Life carried on.
The last few weeks of school seemed endless to the graduating class of 1897. The breeze from the ocean helped alleviate the oppressive heat in the classrooms and one of the girls, Laura, swooned during art class when the paint fumes overwhelmed her. Hannah heard another girl remark that Laura wore her corsets too tight. She was trying to look like Lilly Langtry.
Pierre stood behind Hannah and looked at her painting. It was a vast improvement over her sculpture. She was expressing herself on the canvas and Pierre was impressed by the vivid colors she used. Her anger over the move to Colorado had given her the impetus to create new colors and paint in bold strokes.
"It's coming along nicely," he said.
He had to restrain himself, but since hearing that John Liberty was no longer an impediment to his pursuit of Hannah, it had been hard for him to be around her without expressing his feelings. He wanted to touch her shoulder, her cheek, and if he found himself standing too near to her, he would force himself to
Your friend,
John Liberty
Hannah lay the letter aside. She thought it would hurt more, knowing he had found someone he liked better than her, but surprisingly, it didn't. She was glad for him. They had been apart so long that sometimes she forgot what his voice sounded like. She put the letter in her jewelry box and decided she wouldn't write back to him. She would tell his mother to let him know she had received it and to wish him well. Then she went downstairs for supper.
Chapter 18
Hannah was quiet during supper. Becky tried to think of things to say, but she couldn't stop thinking about John's betrayal. Marian felt it was better to let Hannah be and focused on her meal. Jimmy kept kicking his feet back and forth causing Becky to give him stern looks.
"I can't wait to go to Colorado," he said.
Hannah glared at him.
"I want to ride horses and shoot Indians."
"Jimmy, we don't shoot Indians in this family," Marian said.
"But I want to! Like Kit Carson."
"I'm sure Mr. Carson's mother didn't approve of his behavior. Eat your supper," Marian said.
"Can I ride a horse?"
"Of course, you can ride a horse. I'm sure Uncle James has many horses."
"You can ride a horse here," Becky said.
"These horses are boring," Jimmy said. "I want to rope steers, too."
"These horses are civilized," Becky added.
"You can paint out there, too, Jimmy," Marian said.
"I don't want to paint anymore," Jimmy said.
"Why not?" Marian asked.
"Only sissies paint."
"Who told you that?"
Jimmy was quiet. Marian felt it best not to push him. She would ask him about it when she tucked him into bed.
"I heard from Mr. Leighton at the law firm," Marian said. "He's found a buyer for the house."
Hannah and Becky looked at Marian.
"He said we can stay until the children finish school. The buyer has allowed us three months to vacate the house."
"Then I can graduate," Hannah said.
"Yes, dear, you can graduate. We'll go to New York just as I promised you. That hasn't changed."
"We don't have to go to New York, Mama," Hannah said.
"I want to take you, Hannah."
"I don't think I want to go anymore."
"Well, if you change your mind, we will go as we planned."
Marian wanted to make all the hurt Hannah felt go away, but she knew there was nothing she could do to ease Hannah's pain. The next few months would be a whirlwind of activity as they prepared to leave their home of twenty years and Marian hoped that if Hannah was busy, she would forget John Liberty and begin to look forward to a new life in Colorado.
Evan Morgan came into her mind. She still kept his picture in a box under her bed. Would Hannah keep a picture of John Liberty under her bed?
She has to find a good man , Marian thought, a kind man who will love her as she loves him.
Becky stood and began clearing the plates from the table. Hannah stood and helped her. Jimmy ran upstairs. Life carried on.
The last few weeks of school seemed endless to the graduating class of 1897. The breeze from the ocean helped alleviate the oppressive heat in the classrooms and one of the girls, Laura, swooned during art class when the paint fumes overwhelmed her. Hannah heard another girl remark that Laura wore her corsets too tight. She was trying to look like Lilly Langtry.
Pierre stood behind Hannah and looked at her painting. It was a vast improvement over her sculpture. She was expressing herself on the canvas and Pierre was impressed by the vivid colors she used. Her anger over the move to Colorado had given her the impetus to create new colors and paint in bold strokes.
"It's coming along nicely," he said.
He had to restrain himself, but since hearing that John Liberty was no longer an impediment to his pursuit of Hannah, it had been hard for him to be around her without expressing his feelings. He wanted to touch her shoulder, her cheek, and if he found himself standing too near to her, he would force himself to
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