Page 20 of Earning Tia’s Trust

TWENTY

Tia stepped out of a rundown building that the stagecoach driver had claimed was a decent inn. By any standards, it wasn’t. She followed Robert, who had slept with a gun within reaching distance, and he gave her a lift into the coach. They had another fifty miles before reaching their destination of a railroad station. As passengers in a ‘Pullman coach’ car, the second part of their trip would hopefully be more comfortable.

“Once we meet with the train, the rest of the trip will be comfortable,” Robert promised.

“I’m not complaining,” Tia said. “And I’m glad you warned me against wearing one of my new good dresses.”

“I’m still surprised my mother didn’t complain more about her trip to Stone Falls,” Robert said.

Once in the railroad car, Tia was surprised at the accommodations. The seats were covered in elegant velvets, and the car offered comfort with a Pullman on board who catered to their needs and provided food, drinks, and blankets. Tia removed a book from her carry-on valise and handed it to her husband, then she pulled out a writing tablet since the train was a much smoother ride than the stagecoach had been.

Trains were more comfortable and considerably faster, advertising up to a hundred miles per hour, although Tia hoped the train they were on wasn’t going that fast.

Travel was becoming a luxury, and more and more people were experiencing it. It was half past ten when the train stopped at the Austin station. After collecting their luggage, Robert hailed a buggy driver, and he took them to a hotel.

“I feel like I’m still moving,” Tia said as she hung up their clothing to wear the next day.

Robert smiled. “It won’t last long. Are you hungry?”

“No, I can wait until breakfast,” she responded.

“I’ll call Horace Martin, the man buying my house, first thing in the morning.”

“You have a telephone in your house?” Tia exclaimed. “I’ve read about them, but I’ve never seen one.”

“Austin, as the Capital of Texas, has tried to stay on top of the latest inventions. Austin has had telephone services for the last decade. The city was building a hydroelectric plant across the Colorado River when I left,” Robert explained.

“What’s that?”

“Electricity. Look at the lanterns. They’re not oil lamps. They’ve been wired for electricity.”

“And you left all this behind?” Tia questioned, inspecting the nearest lamp.

“Yes, and I have no regrets,” Robert said, gathering her into his arms and kissing her. “Not a single one!”

“Does the Double D have these luxuries?” Tia asked.

“Not that I know about. I don’t think the lines go out that far. It’s still over a hundred miles to the ranch.”

After an undisturbed and comfortable night’s sleep, Tia dressed in one of her fancier dresses while Robert left the hotel room and went downstairs to the lobby to find a phone. He came back with a wide smile. “Let’s go downstairs. We’ll have breakfast in the hotel restaurant.”

After giving their orders, Tia gave her husband a look of frustration. “Don’t keep me in suspense!”

“First, we’re going to my house to speak with Horace. He took my position after I quit, and he’s been renting my house since I left. We’ve been corresponding for a couple of months and should be able to finalize the sale in a few hours. When we finish that, we will meet with the people in charge at the J. B. Lippincott we were broken-hearted when he left. Robert’s father was my husband’s best friend for years, and he was devastated when he lost him.

“I must admit that Robert wasn’t happy living here in Austin. But I think he’s found what he was looking for. His face lights up every time he looks at you!”

“We’ve had our ups and downs, and I can honestly say most of the downs were my fault,” Tia admitted. “He’s been patient.”

Sallie took Tia’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m glad you’re doing well.”

Dinner was a quiet affair, with only the adults speaking. The four Hogg children spoke only when asked a specific question. Tia much preferred the loud chaos, with their children laughing and everyone allowed to talk. Manners be damned.

The butler interrupted the meal by whispering something into the Attorney General’s ear. James Hogg excused himself, but he was back within a few minutes.

After dinner, the governess took the children upstairs, and James excused himself and Robert. They disappeared back into the office behind closed doors.

“I do apologize,” Sallie said. “Sometimes it feels like my husband is responsible for the entire state of Texas. If he wins the election, he will be responsible for everything. That involves being on duty day and night. I’m proud of him, but at the same time, his duties will be expanding even more.”

“I understand,” Tia said. “But, I’m glad Robert isn’t part of it. We live in a small town, and he told me he is much happier, although he’s been stretched thin for the last few months.”

“I can see how much he cares for you. It’s in his eyes every time he looks at you,” Sallie said. “I still see that look in my husband’s eyes, occasionally, although his family doesn’t get his full attention very often.”

When it was time to leave, the chauffeur drove Robert and Tia back to the hotel. They had talked very little as Robert had put a finger to his lips, not wanting the chauffeur to hear.

“What’s the secret?” Tia asked when they entered their hotel room.

“The phone call James took was from the warden at Huntsville Penitentiary. There was a prison break, and nine men tried to escape,” Robert reported.

“Was Raymond one of them?” Tia asked, feeling sick. She sank into a chair.

“Yes, but you don’t have to worry. Five of the nine men were killed, and Raymond was one of them. You never have to fear him again.”

Tia closed her eyes and willed the fear away. “Are they sure?”

“Dead sure,” Robert said firmly.

“I was raised to believe he was my uncle, but his claim was a lie. The same was true of Hayward being my father. I’ll never know.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Robert said. “You are Tia Grayson, my wife, and that’s all I need to know. Despite all the secrets, you’ve grown into a wonderful woman, wife, and mother. We need to pack our cases tonight because we’re leaving on the eight AM train. It was a successful trip, but I’ll be glad to get home.”

* * *

The trip back to Stone Falls was simply the reverse of their in-coming. They knew to dress comfortably and to bring more food, especially when they switched to stagecoach travel. It was rough, but every jolt meant they were getting closer to home. Forty miles from Stone Falls, the road was blocked as tall poles were anchored into the soil. Robert and Tia had the coach to themselves, and when the stagecoach stopped, they got out to stretch their legs and wait until the road was cleared.

Robert walked over with the stage driver to determine how long they would be delayed.

“The delay will only be thirty minutes or so,” he reported to Tia with a broad smile. “They’re ahead of schedule, and Stone Falls will have a telegraph in a couple of weeks. Once the lines are in, telephone service won’t be far behind!”

The delay was longer than expected, and the stagecoach pulled into Stone Falls three hours late. Still, they made the decision to go home. Robert went to get the buggy and horse he’d left at the livery while Tia picked up their mail. After storing their trunks, they made another stop at the bank.

“Robert, Tia, we’re glad you’re back!” Rainer exclaimed.

“Have there been any problems?” Robert asked.

“None that we couldn’t handle,” Rainer said.

“The biggest was that your mother and brother left on the stage four days after you left,” Francine said.

“What happened?” Robert demanded.

“There were some problems on the Double D. No one was hurt, but there was a fire, and brother Charles lost his house. Barton was determined to return, but Eleanore wanted to stay until you returned. We finally convinced her that we could handle anything that came up,” Francine said. “We sent my mother and the new school teacher, Mrs. Novak, to the ranch to help Mrs. Putney until you returned. Everything is under control.”

“Thank you,” Robert exclaimed. “We’re heading up there now. I’ll be back tomorrow. Has William returned?”

“Yes, he arrived a couple of days after you left,” Rainer said.

“Saturday supper is still on,” Tia called out as Robert hurried her to the buggy.

Robert drove faster to the ranch before full dark descended on them. He stopped at the porch to unload their trunks and lifted Tia from the buggy.

Tia entered her house and went straight to the kitchen. Mrs. Putney and a woman she hadn’t met yet jumped to their feet.

“It’s about time you got back,” the housekeeper snapped.

“We got here as soon as we could,” Tia exclaimed, turning to a woman she hadn’t met yet. “You would be the new teacher, Mrs. Ellen Novak?”

“Yes, I am,” the woman agreed. “The children are probably asleep by now. I hope you don’t mind that I stepped in to help.”

“Goodness no. I thank both of you,” Tia exclaimed. “I’ve always leaned on Mrs. Putney, and a recommendation from Francine means a lot to me.” She turned to Mrs. Putney and gave her a hug. “Is there anything I should know about?”

“Your in-laws left letters on the office desk,” Mrs. Putney said. “Now that you’re here, I’m going to my cabin.”

When the door closed behind her, Tia turned to Mrs. Novak. “She’s always been there for me, but she’s as gruff as a bulldog. I hope you’ve been treated well, and we do thank you for helping.”

“It was Francine’s idea,” Mrs. Novak said. “I’ve known her since college, and getting the job as a teacher in Stone Ridge was a Godsend. Mrs. Mason was here to help, too.”

“Francine has been my best friend since I was a little girl. Her mother has always been there for me. She was our housekeeper when I was young,” Tia said with a smile. “Francine is like a sister, and I’m so glad she’s in charge of the school board. The last person in charge should have been locked up in jail, but she and her husband ran away in the middle of the night!”

“I heard. Please call me Ellen. I’ve been treated well since coming to town, and I look forward to teaching in September. Helping here gave my children someone to play with.”

“Tia?” Robert came into the kitchen and stopped.

“This is Ellen Novak, the new school teacher,” Tia said. “Ellen, this is my husband, Robert Grayson.”

“I’m glad to meet you,” Ellen said. “I’ve heard good things about you in town.”

“That’s good to know,” Robert said. “Thank you for helping while we were out of town.”

“I’ll leave you to get settled,” Ellen said. “I’ve been sleeping upstairs in one of the empty rooms.”

Robert watched the woman leave the room. “Rainer said there are letters left in there.”

The letters weren’t long but explained why Eleanore and Barton had left so quickly. As they already knew, there had been a house fire. Charles had nine children, all under the age of seventeen. Everyone got out safely, which meant a new house had to be built before winter. The family was temporarily living in their mother’s house, and Barton knew that wouldn’t work for long. Charles’ wife wasn’t his mother’s favorite daughter-in-law.

“I feel a bit guilty, although both letters understand that I’m too busy to drop what I’m doing to help them build a house when I have four brothers and twelve nephews capable of building, and we have to finish our house before winter sets in.”