Chapter One – Nosy Busybodies
San Joaquin Valley, California, Fall 1881
Note: This is an unpublished story written years ago. Because of a few similarities between Terrible Secret and Price of Truth (published by Kregel Publications 2010, 2017) regarding Andi seeing a killing and a subsequent court case, Terrible Secret was never offered to the publisher. However, the plots are different enough that readers may enjoy another glimpse into Andrea Carter’s tale. Enjoy multiple points of view in this story!
“There he goes again.” Cory Blake took another bite of his licorice stick. He pulled it between his teeth, chewed, and watched the drama being played out on the dusty streets of Fresno.
“There goes who?” Thirteen-year-old Andrea Carter turned from her conversation with her friends Bethany Pigott and Jack Goodwin to see what Cory was talking about.
She didn’t see anything. The streets looked just as dusty and uninteresting as they ever did on this late fall afternoon. I wish I was home riding Taffy, she mused. Instead, here she was, waiting and waiting until big brother Justin finished his law business and drove her home.
Andi shaded her eyes and squinted at the clock tower two blocks away. A quarter before five. She must meet her brother at five o’clock sharp, but surely he could leave early today. School had been out for nearly an hour.
What was taking Justin so dad-blasted long these days?
Oops. Even in her thoughts, Andi had better not use loose cowhand talk. Dad-blasted might slip out while in one of her brothers’ hearing. Or worse, in Melinda’s hearing.
I will control my thoughts, Andi determined. I will control my tongue. It wasn’t as if dad-blasted was a truly bad word, but Mother called all such words “wooden swearing.”
The cowhands, being rough men, got away with it, but if Andi slipped, she would be banned from hanging around with the ranch hands for sure.
Still, it was the perfect word for what she was feeling—tired of waiting yet again for Justin. She bit off a chunk of the licorice stick Jack’s pa had graciously offered the kids and turned back to Cory. “There goes who?” she repeated her question.
“Zebulun Blazer,” Cory replied, his mouth full of candy. He shrugged. “Ol’ Zeb’s been after that lawyer, Mr. Powers, every day this week. He’s naggin’ him about something.” He pointed. “Watch. Mr. Powers’ll shoo him away soon enough.”
Andi climbed the railing in front of Goodwins Mercantile for a better view. She stood up, braced herself against a post, and peered across the street. Sure enough, Lawyer Powers and Zeb were making their way down the boardwalk toward the saloon.
Cory was right. Zeb seemed to be entreating the lawyer about something. His arms flailed the air, preventing Mr. Powers from moving.
The lawyer seemed thoroughly disgusted by Zeb’s actions. He kept turning this way and that, trying to work his way around the older man, but ol’ Zeb wasn’t budging.
“My goodness!”
A gasp and a woman’s high-pitched voice broke through Andi’s concentration. She whirled.
Oh, no! Not Mrs. Evans!
But it was Mrs. Evans. There was no escape. Andi, trapped on the railing, staring down at the undertaker’s wife.
The woman was Fresno’s loudest and most persistent of the town’s busybodies. She positively delighted in minding other folks’ affairs. For reasons known only to God and Mrs. Evans, she enjoyed finding fault with the town’s young folks and giving them a piece of her mind.
Especially Andi.
“Andrea Carter!” Mrs. Evans admonished. “You come right down from there. The very idea!”
“Yes, ma’am.” Andi grimaced and dropped to the ground. She glanced at her friends, who were muffling their laughter at her unexpected and unwelcome predicament.
And to think, I could be home riding Taffy. She sighed.
Mrs. Evans’s face turned red with concern. She drew herself up to her full five feet height. It wasn’t that long ago when Andi had overheard this busybody raking her up and down because of that whole affair with Peter Wilson and Ben Decker. The killing, the trial, the—
“Does your mother know you are wasting time on the streets of Fresno, climbing railings and conducting yourself in a most unseemly manner?” Mrs. Evans asked, hands on her ample hips.
“I—”
“I have known your dear mother for twenty-five years,” Mrs. Evans cut in without letting Andi answer. “I could never forgive myself if I passed by and ignored your conduct.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Andi said weakly.
She was at a loss. Mrs. Evans was one of Mother’s oldest and dearest friends. The woman made it her life’s goal to make sure all of the young Carters behaved themselves.
Especially when they went to town. The first time Andi had complained at being called to task by the woman, her sister and brothers had grinned and looked at each other in remembrance.
“Better get used to it,” Chad had said, chuckling.
I’ll never get used to it, Andi thought.
“Is your mother in town today, young lady? She hasn’t come by to see me.” Mrs. Evans looked offended.
“No, ma’am,” Andi said. “I’m waiting for Justin. He had to work late and—”
“So, why are you waiting here like a street child? You hurry on down to your brother’s law office and wait there,” Mrs. Evans ordered. “You shouldn’t be allowed to run wild through the streets of this uncivilized cow town.”
Andi seethed. Mrs. Evans had not allowed her to complete one sentence. Andi glanced over her shoulder. Her friends had quietly slipped into the mercantile. And for a good reason. They knew they would be next.
When Andi made no reply, Mrs. Evans tapped her foot impatiently. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself?”
Finally given the chance to speak, Andi took a deep breath. “I’ll be heading to Justin’s in just a minute, Mrs. Evans.” She managed a slight curtsy. “I’ll tell Mother you asked after her.”
Mrs. Evans patted her arm. “That’s much better, my dear. I’ve told Elizabeth Carter time and time again how dreadfully difficult it is to raise young ladies on a ranch with the rough ways of all those cowhands. It’s a wonder—”
Here we go again.
Andi clamped her jaw shut, keeping dad-blasted behind her teeth. And dirty darn too. Honestly, Mrs. Evans’s busybody ways were enough to—how did old Sid McCoy put it?—enough to make a preacher swear.
Andi counted to ten in Spanish and let out a long quiet breath. She smiled at the woman and gave in. If it wasn’t Aunt Rebecca on her high horse getting after Andi, it was Mrs. Evans. If not her, then the other biddies in town were glad to take her place scolding Andi. “Mrs. Evans, I really must—”
“Let me finish, my dear. I think it’s time for you and your dear sister to accompany me back East to Chicago, where there is a wonderful school for young ladies. You do know that my dear daughter Victoria is the headmistress, don’t you?” She paused.
“No.” Andi did not know this, nor did she care.
“Victoria has done so well for herself, and I would dearly love to set your feet upon the right path.”
“Melinda and I have both attended Miss Whitaker’s in San Francisco.” Andi didn’t add that a girls’ school in the city was not something she ever wanted to experience again. “My feet are firmly planted right here in Fresno, ma’am. Neither Melinda nor I want to go to Chicago.”
Mrs. Evans clucked her tongue then sighed. “Sometimes we must do things we don’t want to for the greater good.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Andi agreed, if only to shut the old woman up.
Mrs. Evans smiled. “I’ll be speaking to your mother about this in the near future.” She patted Andi’s arm and hurried off down the street, her skirts swishing in contentment.
No sooner had Mrs. Evans left the boardwalk, than her arm went up in a wave to Mrs. King. The women stepped together into Reids Dry Goods store and out of Andi’s sight.
Thank goodness. Andi slumped against the railing.
“How do you stand it, Andi?” Cory and the rest of her friends pushed through the mercantile screen door and made their way across the boardwalk to join her at the railing.
“Some friends you are.” Andi scowled. “You left me.”
“Only in self-defense,” Bethany said. “She would have been after me for my mother allowing me out of the house dressed like this when she’s a seamstress.” She swiped at her casual skirt and worn flowered blouse.
“I would have gotten it for wasting time out here instead of helping Pa out in the store because my dear mother passed on.” Jack gave Cory an accusing look. “I never see Mrs. Evans getting after you, Cory.”
Cory bit into a piece of licorice. “She thinks I’m a hopeless case. Destined to be a low-caste livery stable owner like my pa. I reckon she doesn’t want to waste her time on the likes of me.” He scowled. “That ol’ biddy can think what she likes.”
His gray-blue eyes turned scornful. “If she ever does decide to come after me with her wagging tongue, I’ve got a few things to say to her that’ll shut her up mighty quick.” He turned to Andi. “Why do you let her talk to you like that, Andrea?”
“Stop it, Cory. Sometimes I think you haven’t any manners at all.” Andi nodded in the direction Mrs. Evans had headed. “She’s one of Mother’s oldest friends and also one of the town’s earliest settlers. She’s harmless.”
“You’re defending her?” Bethany said, smothering a smile.
Andi leaned against a lamp post. “She’s been trying for years and years to talk Mother into sending me to a young lady’s school in Chicago.” Andi laid the back of her hand against her forehead and imitated Mrs. Evans. “My dear girl, a school in the wild west, even one in San Francisco, is simply not up to a gentle woman’s desirable standards.”
Bethany giggled.
“I’ve had more than my fill of finishing schools,” Andi said. “Before nagging me, Mrs. Evans went after Melinda, and before that it was Chad, Mitch, and Justin.”
“For a lady’s school?” Jack asked, eyebrows raised.
“Of course not.” Andi wrinkled her forehead. “For some fancy school back east to make gentlemen out of the boys.”
“Well, I’d say you’ve all done just fine out here. There’s no nicer fellow than your brother Justin,” Cory said. “Mitch too. And Chad’s all right, so long as you don’t make him mad.”
“And Melinda . . .” Bethany sighed. “She’s my very ideal of a beautiful, gracious lady. Every time she comes into the shop to order a new dress, I wish I could be just like her.”
“I’ll tell her you said so.” Andi was used to comments about her beautiful, blond sister. Not for the first time, Andi wished her hair was golden like Melinda’s instead of dark like Chad’s and Justin’s.
It was a sore trial having a beautiful older sister.
Jack smirked. “So, where does that leave you, Andi?”
“Yeah.” Cory jumped in to tease his friend. “Maybe Mrs. Evans isn’t wrong about that school back east. Another school might be just the ticket to turn Andi into a proper—”
A loud crash erupted from the saloon across the street, and the four young people turned toward the sound.
“C’mon!” Cory motioned. “I bet this has something to do with old Zeb Blazer.”