Page 4 of Earning Tia’s Trust

FOUR

Tia woke at the crack of dawn. She’d been a little apprehensive the night before, but Robert hadn’t tried to open her door. She’d heard him come up the stairs and had hidden behind the door with a heavy washstand pitcher ready to bash him over the head if he tried to enter her room.

Robert hadn’t, and she’d heard a familiar creak of Hayward's bedroom door where he’d decided to sleep. Except for female housekeepers, Tia had been raised around men. The breeding of the cattle and horses hadn’t been hidden from her. She’d heard the bragging from the ranch hands when they were unaware of her listening. She knew why Hayward had told her never to associate with Sally Hawkins or Polly Gibbs, who lived above the saloon and entertained men.

She wasn’t stupid and knew why married couples slept in the same bed. But, she hadn’t married for love or whatever stupid reasons women married. Robert Grayson had decided to help her, and she’d gone along with his idea to protect the Kingston Ranch and her brother’s inheritance.

After a night of tossing and turning with little sleep, Tia dressed as she did every morning. She pulled on a clean shirt and trousers. She would wear the same outfit until she returned. She didn’t pull on her boots. They were loud on the wooden floors. She wrote a note to Sammy and slid it under his bedroom door, telling him to go to school every day and listen to Mrs. Putney while she was gone. Then she checked to ensure the housekeeper wasn’t awake yet and raided the icebox for leftovers to take with her.

The horses were gone, but she would catch up with Hank and the two wranglers soon enough.

Robert woke up with a start. A beam of bright light had crossed his face through almost closed drapes. Rolling out of bed, he picked up his pocket watch and was surprised that it was nearly seven in the morning. A born and bred rancher would consider half the day gone and wasted. Jumping out of bed, he almost tripped over the traveling case he’d left on the floor the night before. He dressed in Levi’s trousers, a flannel shirt, and a leather vest he’d packed, along with his worn boots.

Knocking on Sammy’s door, there was no answer, so he opened the door and looked around. The room looked much like the one he’d had as a boy. Clothes were tossed carelessly on the floor, and the bed was unmade.

Robert went down the stairs and straight to the kitchen. “Mrs. Putney, I presume,” he said of the heavyset woman.

“And you would be Tia’s new husband,” the housekeeper snapped.

“Yes, ma’am, I am. I’m Robert Grayson,” Robert agreed. “Would you, by chance, know where she and Sammy are?”

“Sammy has gone to school if he’s not playing hooky again to go fishing,” Mrs. Putney said. “Tia has gone to Brownsborough, where they will deliver the horses to their new owner at the railroad station. She left a note saying she’ll return in about eight days.” The housekeeper shook her head, and she was smirking. “You’ve got yourself a handful there, Mr. Grayson.”

Robert laughed. “The name is Robert, and I think I can handle her. Please fix me a breakfast and pack enough food to last a few days?”

“Of course,” Mrs. Putney agreed, but she looked skeptical.

“Oh, and when Sammy returns from school, tell him that I’ll be talking to his teacher, and if he skips school while we are gone, he will not like the punishment he will receive.”

“Yes, sir,” Mrs. Putney repeated, nodding.

Robert went back upstairs, and this time, he opened Tia’s bedroom. Her room was not particularly feminine but orderly. Opening the chifferobe, he was surprised it was full of dresses, but when he looked at them individually, he could see why she didn’t like them. Tia wasn’t a frilly girl, and these dresses were overly ruffled, laced, and often mixed colors that were shockingly adverse. He could understand why she didn’t want to wear them because in his opinion, and he guessed hers too... they were ugly.

Next, Robert opened the dresser drawers and found what he sought. He gathered overalls, shirts, trousers, and even men’s socks and piled them in the center of a blanket. Then, he carried the load downstairs and outside. It didn’t take him long to dump the men’s clothing into the burn barrel, a safe distance from the back of the house. He stood back and watched them burn.

Looking through a window, Mrs. Putney’s eyes grew wide with shock. “Lord, A Mercy,” she whispered. The housekeeper thought Tia had married a city man by her first look and the fancy suits he wore in town. Maybe she’d been wrong about Robert Grayson. Perhaps he could settle Tia down and turn her into a lady because, as the Good Lord knew, neither she nor Hayward Kingston had been able to do it. Although the fault of her having manly manners rested on her father’s shoulders.

Having completed everything necessary in the ranch house, Robert headed to the first of the two barns. He introduced himself as Tia’s husband and asked for the buggy to be harnessed. It would take him a while to catch up with the horses being herded to Brownsborough, but if he’d timed it correctly, he would arrive soon after the sale had been completed. He wouldn’t be slowed down by wrangling multiple horses. Tia had already crossed a line between what was acceptable in their new marriage and what wasn’t.

* * *

Tia sat around the campfire, sipping a dark brew of coffee. ‘Cowman coffee,’ Hank called it, and it was strong enough to turn her stomach. It was the third day of their journey, and she was looking forward to being in Brownsborough. The town was three times the size of Stone Falls and had been built on a railroad. She’d been there once, but Hayward wasn’t interested in looking around the town.

It had been a strange couple of days. It was easy to keep the horses together, but she felt a little guilty about leaving Robert without warning. Still, she needed the time to think. She’d pondered the facts for weeks but still hadn’t come up with any other way to abide by Hayward’s will. Out of desperation, she had married Robert Grayson, a man she barely knew.

Riding into Brownsborough, they delivered the horses to the corrals and were met by the buyers. After a trip to the bank, money was exchanged, and the contract was signed. It was a quick enough transaction. The horses were boarded in corrals, and the new owners would load them on the next train that arrived.

Adam and Ernest decided to head home the following day. Tonight the men were heading for the nearest saloon, and she would bet, a whore house. Hank would hang around to ensure the wranglers didn’t get into trouble before he pointed them toward the ranch.

Tia headed in the opposite direction to get a room in the one decent hotel in town. As soon as she entered the lobby, she felt something was wrong. The hotel owner was giving her a harsh look of disapproval.

She turned to the door but found it was blocked by Robert Grayson. “How did you get here?” Tia exclaimed and then realized it was a stupid question.”

“Your wife, Mr. Grayson?” the clerk asked.

“My wife,” Robert agreed. He took Tia’s arm and guided her to the staircase. Bending down to speak in her ear, he whispered, “I already have a room booked. Cause a ruckus, and I’ll give you a spanking that you’ll remember for a long time.”

Swallowing, Tia obeyed, but not because she was afraid. She was embarrassed. When the hotel door closed behind them, Tia put some distance between them. “How did you get here so fast?”

“I came by buggy. A buggy can cover a distance faster than multiple horses that must be restrained and kept together. I was raised on a ranch in Texas. Have you heard of the Double D brand?”

“Who hasn’t,” Tia said. “I thought you were a city man.”

“Well, that was a wrong assumption,” Robert said bluntly. He pointed to a dressing screen. “I’ve already had a bathing tub brought in and filled. Help yourself.”

“You have to leave the room,” Tia said.

Robert shook his head. “That’s not happening. If you want dinner, you’d better do as you’re told.”

Tia hesitated, but when her stomach growled, she went behind the screen, undressed, and draped her clothes over the top of the screen, and they disappeared.

“Hey!”

“There will be no more dressing like a boy,” Robert said firmly from the other side of the screen. “I think you’ll find split riding skirts comfortable and appropriate. My sisters wear them when they’re riding.”

Tia scrubbed herself, dried off, and reached for the new clothing. A waist-length chemise and split-crotch bloomers were tossed over the screen.”

“Is there a skirt?” she asked.

“Yes, but I’m not ready to give it to you yet,” Robert said. “Come out from behind the screen.”

“I can’t.”

“I’m losing patience. Don’t make things worse,” he warned

Tia stepped from behind the curtain with a towel wrapped around her waist.

Robert’s reaction was one that he wished he had more control over. He moved closer and backed her up against a fainting couch.

“We’re going to get something straight right now. I am your husband. You repeated the same vows as I did. You need to understand that for every action, there is a reaction. You have been disrespectful, and I have decided that actions sometimes must be addressed directly.”

Tia pondered his words for a second in confusion, but in the next instance, she was lifted from the seat and yanked facedown over his lap. She gasped as it dawned on her what he intended.

“Robert Grayson, you can not beat me!”

“I have no intention of beating you, but I am going to take my frustration out on your bottom!” Robert responded.

“No!” Tia squealed and tried to wiggle off his lap, but his hand snaked under her belly and untied the bloomers. With a single yank, her bottom was naked.

He scooted back on the couch and handed her a pillow. “You’d better scream into the pillow, or everyone on this floor will know you’re getting a well-deserved spanking!”

A second later, Tia felt the first and second spanks. She felt a few seconds of humiliation because Robert Grayson was spanking her! Then his hand felt harder, and she grabbed the pillow to muffle her squeals and cries. Twisting around, she tried to roll off his lap, but he simply pulled her closer and delivered spanks that stung more and burned. As her bottom was being battered by his stern and calloused hand, she began to sob into the pillow.

Hayward had sorely abused her with his temper and domineering actions, but he had punished her with cruel words, not physical retribution. To her recollection, she’d only been spanked once before as an adult, and that had been by the hand of the same man who was abusing her bottom again.

This was the second time Robert had assaulted her! She kicked out and pounded on his legs with her fists. She tried covering her offended parts with her hands, but Robert was having none of it. He merely caught her hands in one of his and held them without pausing his disciplinary measures. Tia gave a muffled and outraged scream as he whacked her particularly hard in a spot that was already stinging. She tried to scratch him, but that was responded to by an especially hard whack across her naked bottom. Robert Grayson’s hand repeatedly spanked her bottom as she sobbed with pain, humiliation, and outrage. When he finally stopped, Robert gave her a yank, pulled her into his arms, and let her cry while he lectured her on expected behavior.

Tears streaking down her cheeks, Tia cried, “How dare you! How dare you!”

Robert raised a single eyebrow. “Considering our personal association, I do dare. You are my wife, and I will not tolerate disrespect. You will behave as a decent young woman, or I will continue to assault your bottom until you learn how to behave. I am not in your employment. I am your husband and responsible for you, your brother, and your holdings. I take that responsibility seriously. I don’t want to repeat this discipline, but I will if you don’t stop behaving like a spoiled brat. Keep this in mind, and ignore my crudeness of words, but your ass belongs to me!”

Tia gasped at his threat and continued to cry when she tried to sit up. With a blotchy red face and tears streaking down her face, she stood and turned away from him. Pulling up her bloomers that had fallen to her ankles, she tried to cover her nakedness. Tia sucked in her breath as her bottom was stinging. She felt something drape over her shoulder and realized it was a split riding skirt.

“I will not be treated this way,” Tia cried, pulling on the canvas-like material of the split skirt.

“That decision isn’t yours to make,” Robert said bluntly.

“I’ll file for a divorce!”

“Then you’ll lose the Kingston Ranch,” Robert said. “And, it’s debatable whether or not a divorce would be granted. I doubt there is a Judge anywhere who would consider that spanking and the circumstances behind it invalid. Wash your face, and finish getting dressed. We have some shopping to do.”

“I don’t need anything, especially from you,” Tia whispered.

“Again, that is my decision to make, not yours,” Robert said. “You need several more riding outfits and a few proper dresses.”

“I have clothing,” Tia sniffed.

“I saw them, and they are unacceptable. Whoever purchased those dresses must be color-blind. I also burned the trousers and the men’s shirts,” Robert said. “You will no longer run around Stone Falls or the ranch in men’s apparel. Nor will you wear those atrocities that are hanging in your chifferobe. I didn’t burn them. I thought they could be donated to the church or given to the poor.”

“Hayward bought those dresses for me,” Tia said. “And you are right; they are too ugly to wear!”

“Having seen them, I agree,” Robert said. “He had awful judgment in many things. It doesn’t matter now. As your husband, I will be your advisor.”

“Are you a wasteful man?” Tia asked.

“A few skirts and dresses will not bankrupt my finances.” Robert was watching Tia’s reaction to his words. He wasn’t trying to be cruel, but he’d already put up with enough impudence and disrespect. Tia was twenty-one years old, yet her behavior was of an ill-mannered youth.

“Would you like to eat first or go to the shops?” he asked. “I would advise shopping, considering the state of your backside at the moment.”

Tia turned her back on Robert and took several deep breaths before facing him. “What do you know about women’s clothing?”

“In all likelihood, probably more than you do,” Robert said. “I am the youngest in my family, with seven siblings. I have four older brothers and three older sisters. I was the last child born and my sister’s dress-up doll until I was old enough to fight back and remind them that I was a boy!”

Tia couldn’t stop the mental picture. She sniggered at his words, imagining a little boy dressed like a doll. When she covered her mouth with her hand, Robert pulled her hand down.

“Don’t hide your smile,” he said. “You go from pretty to beautiful with that smile.”

* * *

Shopping was a new experience for Tia. The only shopping she’d done was at the Grover’s Mercantile. She vaguely remembered being in a shop with her mother once, but she’d only been four or five years old. Mostly, she remembered her mother being sickly and bedridden. Harriet Kingston had died when Tia was nine years old. She’d been eleven when her father had brought baby Sammy into the house, along with a wet nurse to care for him. Hayward had explained that Sammy was her brother. There had been no discussion of who Sammy’s mother was, except that she had died giving birth. Even the recording of Sammy’s birth in the Bible contained only his first name and date of birth. Hayward was listed as his father. There was no reference to his mother.

Robert and Tia walked the Brownsborough sidewalk, and it was obvious that she’d never been allowed to buy for herself. They entered the Burnette Mercantile, but the man behind the counter shook his head when asked if he had ready-made dresses for sale.

“I sell the fabric, not anything already made,” the proprietor said. “You’ll have to return to where you bought that fancy female riding skirt. Personally, I disapprove of them, but Lilly sells them. Three shops down.” The man raked his eyes over Tia. “A woman who can’t sew and cook ain’t worth her keep.”

Robert felt Tia stiffen, and he gave her a quick shake of his head. “That’s your opinion, sir. Are you married?” Robert asked.

“No,” the man grunted.

“Your attitude toward women might be your problem,” Robert said, guiding Tia out of the store with his hand on her lower back.

“Obnoxious b...” Tia went silent as Robert let his hand slide downward to her still-aching bottom.

“We’re going to have to come to terms with your swearing,” he said quietly, opening the dress shop door.

“Hello again,” the young woman behind the counter said. “I was consulting with another customer when you came in yesterday. My sister Julie helped you.”

“I was in a hurry yesterday,” Robert said. “Are you Lilly?”

“Yes, sir. I’m Lilly Marx, the proud owner of this shop. Her eyes flicked over to Tia and back to Robert. “Can I help you find something?”

“Yes,” Robert said. “I’m Robert Grayson, and this is my wife, Tia Grayson. I want you to consult with my wife to purchase a new wardrobe.”

“My goodness,” Lilly exclaimed. “Did you lose your clothes to a fire or something?”

“Something like that,” Robert answered without going into detail. “I’m leaving my wife in your capable hands. Please help her with her selections. She needs to replace everything a woman needs to wear, head to toe. She will need at least three more riding sets like what she is wearing, a suitable dress for every day of the week and a better one for Sundays. Also, include at least one party gown.”

“That would be a special order, sir,” Lilly said.

“Then, we’ll arrange to have it shipped,” Robert said. “I’ll be outside on the bench, so I won’t bother you, but if you need my opinion, please ask.”

“Goodness,” the seamstress exclaimed, giving Tia a look of envy, when Robert went outside. “Not only is your husband good-looking, but he’s rich and generous!”

Tia gave the young woman a stiff smile. “He’s also bossy. I don’t like dresses that look like patchwork quilts, and I don’t like a lot of ruffles and lace. I’m happy with what I’m wearing.”

“Oh, but the split skirts are only for riding and picnics,” Lilly exclaimed. “You want simple but pretty,” Lilly guessed. “Do you like bustles?”

Tia shook her head.

“Good, because they have gone out of fashion, and it’s about time! Big sleeves, high collars, and corseted waists are fashionable now. Not that you have to worry about wearing a corset. You have a small waist, and that’s fashionable all the time. Come along into the back room, and we’ll see what I find,” Lilly exclaimed.

“What about your customers?” Tia asked.

Lilly shook her head. “I haven’t had a sale all morning. Most women just look at my dresses, then go home and try to copy them. If I am suddenly swamped with customers, which I can honestly tell you has never happened, I can take a broom to the ceiling, and my sister will come down to help. We live upstairs.”

Tia looked around the shop and saw several modest dresses in muted colors that she liked. “It’s not right that the women are stealing your ideas.”

“No, but that’s my business. I sell a lot of fabric because Mr. Burnette doesn’t understand what women want. They want soft colors, not blazing reds, purples, and horrible patterns. Now, let’s get started with what you need. Since your husband has deep pockets, this will be my best day of business since I opened!”

Tia tried on dress after dress in an array of soft colors and pretty flower fabrics that Lilly swore brought out the gold in her hair and the blue in her eyes. It was a good thing that Tia was a small woman. Most of the display dresses fit her and were a little loose. The hems and the waists would need to be altered.

When Tia tried on a dress she liked, Lilly would tap on the window, and Robert would nod or shake his head.

A couple of hours later, a pile of dresses and undergarments was stacked on the counter.

When Lilly knocked on the window and indicated that he was to come in, Robert lowered the newspaper he was reading. Tia came out of the backroom wearing a pale lavender dress. “Now that’s what I wanted to see,” he exclaimed with a wide smile. “You can wear that when we go for supper tonight.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but it has to be hemmed, as do the other dresses,” Lilly interrupted. “If you can give me an hour or so, I can have it hemmed before supper time. If you’re going to stay the night in Brownsborough, I can make all the alterations by morning. But you’ll have to pay half the bill in advance. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, sir, but I’ve had customers who wanted dresses altered but didn’t return.”

“That’s no problem and a good business practice,” Robert said. “We’ll be back before you close for the day for the dress she is wearing, and we’ll pick up the rest tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll have everything ready for you,” Lilly agreed with a broad smile as she tallied the bill.

Tia returned to the shop’s front room, wearing her riding outfit. She’d enjoyed the time she’d spent with Lilly. The young woman was very much like her best friend, Francine. She didn’t judge her choices.

After paying for the clothing, Robert escorted Tia back onto the roughboard sidewalks. “Watch your toes,” he advised. “I’ve tripped twice on these rough boards.”

“You spent a fortune on new clothes that weren’t necessary,” Tia said.

“Well, considering that I burned most of your boy clothes, you deserve new replacements,” Robert said. “I found a bookstore down by the train depot. Would you like to purchase a few books?”

“I just sold twelve horses. I needed that money to keep Kingston Ranch afloat until I figured out how much Raymond has stolen from the ranch.”

“Not as much as you may think,” Robert said. “When Rainer Bishop realized what Raymond was doing, he stashed most of your father’s assets into hidden accounts.”

Tia stopped. “Are you saying the Kingston Ranch isn’t broke?”

“I am,” Robert said with a smile. “Now that you’re a married woman, Rainer will explain everything he did to ensure your wealth wouldn’t be stolen. From what little he’s confided in me, Kingston Ranch is not in financial danger.”

“Then why did you insist on getting married?” Tia demanded.

“Rainer’s actions didn’t have any bearing on the stipulation in your father’s will,” Robert explained. “Nothing changed there. You needed a husband, and I figured I was your best bet as someone who wouldn’t cheat you.”

“I don’t believe you!” Tia yelled. “You’re just like Raymond, trying to steal our inheritance!”

Robert took a firm grip on Tia’s arm and marched her around the corner of the building. He propped his foot on the back porch, yanked her across his raised knee, and gave her five hard and stinging swats. “That’s enough!” he growled, setting Tia back on her feet. “I have done everything possible to protect you, Sammy, and the Kingston Ranch. I’ve told you before and won’t keep repeating it. You will not disrespect the decisions that I’ve made to protect you!”

Rubbing her sore bottom, Tia suddenly and unexpectedly buried her face into Robert’s chest. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to insult you.”