The O'Neal Girls Chapter 4

Chapter 4

           

            At four in the morning, Danielle was jarred awake. She wearily opened her eyes and peered about the dark room. She vaguely made out Lillian standing at the end of the bed.

​            “What are you doing?” Danielle mumbled sleepily.

​            “I couldn’t sleep. Go back to sleep and I’ll wake you up later,” Lillian replied softly.

            Danielle rolled over and fell back asleep. She was not awakened again until a couple minutes before five. Lillian was bent over Danielle, shaking the younger woman’s shoulder.

“Danielle…Danielle, dear,” Lillian’s voice was steadily persistent. 

Danielle reluctantly woke and sat up.

“It’s time to go home,” Lillian told Danielle. “If we leave now, we’ll be home in time for breakfast.”

Danielle nodded and changed into a fresh dress and tied her shoelaces. She hastily wove her hair into two braids and followed Lillian outside and to the livery. The sun still had not risen but the moon had just set and the early morning light was illuminating the day. Not many people were out and about at this early hour. Only the paperboy, Billy Fairfield, was rushing around, delivering papers to the townspeople. Mr. Dodd, the livery stable manager, was sitting inside the barn. He was kicked back in his chair with his hat tipped down over his eyes as if he was sleeping.

Lillian cautiously stepped up to him and cleared her throat.

Mr. Dodd coughed and leaned forward in his chair, resulting in a loud and sudden bang as the chair fell on all four legs. The horses reacted painfully to the noise. They reared, kicked, and screamed in fright. Mr. Dodd had to yell over the noise.

“Kin I help ya, ma’am?” Mr. Dodd asked wiping his hands on his trousers.

“I’ve come to get our horses. The buckskins?” Lillian answered.

“Ah yes, right back there,” Mr. Dodd pointed towards the back of the barn. “Would you like them saddled for ya?”

“That won’t be necessary, sir. My daughter and I will take care of it.” Lillian fished around in her purse and produced a few coins and deposited them into the hand of Mr. Dodd.

“Thank ye,” Mr. Dodd tipped his hat and settled back down into his chair.

Danielle led the way to the back of the dim barn and found Midnight and Strawberry. Danielle and Lillian moved quickly and heaved the saddles upon the horses. The bridles were strapped on and the reins were tossed around the saddle horns.

When the two women led the horses outside, Danielle gave Lillian a leg up onto Strawberry and once Lillian was up, Danielle scrambled aboard Midnight.

The sun was slowly beginning to rise. A brilliant burst of light could be seen just above the distant mountains. The aspen trees glowed as the yellow light slipped through the brightly colored leaves. The fir trees swayed in the light breeze; rustling mildly. Ponderosa pines stretched up high and allowed the sunlight to peek through the thousands of needles. Lillian breathed in the fresh air and sighed.

“How did you sleep?” Lillian asked as the horses trotted away from Fairburn.

​            “Alright,” Danielle said. A yawn escaped from her mouth telling the truth of her night’s rest.

            Lillian chuckled. “You’ll be in bed early tonight.”

            Danielle nodded her agreement.

            Shortly after six a.m., Lillian and Danielle rode up to the O’Neal land. A few moments later, Paul appeared out of the house. He was pulling his thick black suspenders up and over his shoulders. He acknowledged the two with a curt nod of his head.

            Paul neared the two, “I’ll put the horses away.”

            “Thanks,” Lillian said, dismounting. “Paul…I’m sorry.”

            Paul shook his head, “Forget it.”

            “But I shouldn’t have run off like that.”

            Paul merely smiled his understanding and took Strawberry and Midnight into the barn while Lillian and Danielle walked into the house.

            Belle and Cassandra were making breakfast while the others were still sleeping. When Lillian and Danielle entered the parlor, Belle walked over to the two.

​            Belle folded her hands in front of her and stared hard at the ground. “Mrs. O’Neal, I want to apologize for the way I’ve been acting. I had no right to act that way toward you and Mr. O’Neal. I hope you will forgive me.”

            ​“Thank-you, Belle. That means so much to me.” Lillian smiled at Belle.

​            Belle briefly smiled.

            ​“Belle, I want you to know that I adopted the girls knowing I would have to be there for each of you whenever you need me. I don’t want to take over the place of your mother…I just want to help.”

            Belle opened her mouth to speak but a squall from the O’Neal’s bedroom brought the colloquy to an end. Lillian hurried off to tend to Oakley and the three sisters walked back to finish breakfast. It was a sunny Friday morning and the girls rejoiced at having the long weekend ahead of them. Paul tramped off behind the barn to load his wagon and deliver the wood to Elm Springs, a town a twelve hour round trip. He didn’t need Cassandra’s or Danielle’s help today so the two helped Lillian with the housework.

~~~

            Mid-morning, while Cassandra and Belle were hanging up the wash, Lillian demanded Danielle work on her homework assignments.

​            “We’ve slacked off this week and you need to keep working on it,” she stated handing Danielle a notepad.

​            “But I’m sixteen,” Danielle grumbled.

“And you still have work to do,” Lillian responded.

            Danielle sat down at the kitchen table and worked on her arithmetic problems silently while Lillian dusted the parlor. Cassandra and Belle whisked into the room a moment later assuring that the laundry was done.

​            “Good,” replied Lillian.

​            “It’s such a beautiful day,” Cassandra sighed. “Do you mind if I take one of the horses for a little ride and take a picnic lunch?”

​            “As long as you’re back within two hours.”

​            “Thanks! Does anyone want to come?”

            Danielle shook her head and Belle replied that she was going to stay and help Lillian.

            “Alright then, see you all later.” Cassandra packed a hurried picnic lunch and dashed outside.

~~~

Cassandra rode into Fairburn. She hurried down the main street and took a right. A few more paces and she stopped in front of a large brick house. She dismounted Esther and knocked on the large door. The door swung open and beheld a handsome young man. The man had light blonde hair that hung off his neck. He carried a trim goatee on his chin and was wearing a stiff blue suit and a bowtie. 

​            “Cassie!” he exclaimed reaching out and pulling her close. 

​            “Hello, Charles,” Cassandra laughed. When Cassandra lived with the widow Chadwick, she met the charming young gentleman. The two were seen with each other regularly. Cassandra fell in love with charming Charles right away. 

​            “I thought you forgot about me,” Charles Wiggins said leading her inside. “It’s been a long time.” He took her hand and kissed it. 

​            “I’m sorry. I’ve been waiting for just the right time. I brought a picnic lunch and I thought—” 

​            “I’ll go change into my riding clothes,” Charles interrupted dashing upstairs. Cassandra sat down on the comfy sofa and relaxed. A moment later, a gentleman in his mid thirties walked in. He had long white blonde hair, similar to Charles’s hair. Thin-rimmed glasses hung off the edge of his nose, hiding a pair of pale blue eyes. His mouth was twisted into a crude smile and he carefully brushed the dust off his expensive looking gray suit. 

​            “Ah, hello mademoiselle,” he said speaking in a slight French accent. 

​            Cassandra returned the greeting. “Are you French?” Cassandra asked curiously. 

​            He chuckled a rough laugh, “No, but I studied French in school and I just returned from a three year stay in France.” 

​            “I see.” Cassandra stood back up and walked towards the gentleman. 

​            “I’m Harold Wiggins, Charles Wiggin’s uncle. And you are?” 

​            “I’m Cassandra Hansen,” Cassandra offered her hand. “Well, I’ve been adopted by the O’Neals so I’m really Cassandra O’Neal.” 

​            Harold shook her hand with a quizzical glance. “O’Neal you say?” 

​            “Yes; Paul and Lillian O’Neal.” Cassandra sat back down on the sofa. 

​            Harold muttered some harsh words under his breath; words that Cassandra raised her eyebrows in shock at. 

​            “I’m sorry, mademoiselle. I should not have said those maledictions in front of you.”  

At that moment, Charles returned. “Are you ready, Cassie?” he held out his hand. Cassandra accepted it and they made their way outside. “We’ll be back later, Uncle Harold.” 

Harold nodded his head and watched the two depart. “Lillian Rose Rosenthal,” Harold murmured in a growling tone. “I thought she and Paul left a long time ago. I supposed wrong. I believe I ought to pay her a visit. Lillian…my Lillian.” 

Chapter Five