When they got to the post building, Adam was disappointed to see that it was not open. He thought it was always open. Cody slid from his horse and approached the door to read a piece of paper someone had stuck there. He came back to the horses, looking up at Adam.
“Sister died,” he said simply.
“Well, is there only one person who works at this place?” He frowned. He wanted to send the ad immediately.
“Sorry, boss. Looks like you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to put in your ad. You look like you’re getting’ pretty anxious about it. You really want to do this, don’t you?”
“I feel that this is what God’s put on my heart, yes.”
“I reckon you talked to Reverend John about it.”
“I sure did. Just today.”
Cody nodded. “That’s why you’re so anxious. You got confirmation from someone you trust.”
Adam gave his farmhand a narrow look. “You’re pretty smart when you wanna be, Cody.”
Cody laughed. “Jus’ cause my words are lazy doesn’t mean my brain is.”
Adam laughed with him. It was a good point.
“I guess we gotta go back and take care of the eggs then.” Adam sighed with resignation. He turned his horse around and headed home.
Chapter Three
Lilly was more nervous than she had ever been in her life. She was hurrying back from the post office with a letter for Angelica that she knew her friend was not going to expect. And Lilly was terribly afraid she would reject it completely and be angry at Lilly for what she’d done behind her back.
The letter was from Adam Burrows in Elko, Nevada. Lilly had found his ad in the newspaper and responded, signing Angelica’s name instead of her own. It was the only way she knew of to ensure that Angelica would be taken care of first. She would travel with her, with her own money that she had been saving, and hope for the best.
But Lilly hadn’t mentioned a few things about Angelica when she’d responded. She’d used perfect English – or as near it as she could come – and hadn’t mentioned the death of Angelica’s father. Nor had she said how stunningly beautiful Angelica was.
Her heart beat hardest at the thought of the final blow in her deception. She had signed the letter as “Angela Davenport” rather than Angelica DiAntonio. The last name in itself would give the whole thing up.
Lilly’s sense of guilt washed over her as she berated herself for the entire scam. How would Angelica react? Would she even go through with it? It had been three weeks since the death of her father. She was back to working but was only doing that – living, existing. She had no vibrancy left, other than her outer beauty. It never reflected her inner sorrow, except when she was crying.
She had stopped crying about a week ago and was now just moving around, doing her work, eating, sleeping and the like.
Lilly wanted it to stop. She’d answered the ad the day after Mr. DiAntonio’s death. The letter of response had just arrived. She opened it immediately and was thrilled to read he was interested and had even sent a ticket for “Angela” to take, dated five days hence.
She stopped at the door of their boarding house and looked up at the windows that belonged to Angelica’s rooms. Her friend was not in the window and could not be seen from where Lilly was standing.
Lilly’s heart pounded. Regret washed over and then a sense of determination filled her. Her mixed up feelings continued to battle each other as she pushed open the door and went through. By the time she reached the second floor and was standing in front of Angelica’s door, she was out of breath. Her anxiety was making her feel faint. She knocked on the door and then opened it, putting her head through.
“Angel? Where are you?”
“In here. Come on in, Lilly.”
Lilly closed the door behind her and hurried into her friend’s bedroom, where it appeared Angelica was going through her clothes to see what she wanted and what she didn’t. She’d been given all of her sisters clothes that had not burned in the fire but where kept in a separate building. These were all clothes meant for the wintertime, and they were of very fine quality.
“These are beautiful!” Lilly said. “What do you plan to do with them?”
“I am giving them to some of the women in town who have very little.”
“But you should sell them. You don’t have to give them away. You need money.”
“I do not want to sell them, amica mia. I want the women to have them. I do not want the money they have.”
Lilly understood. These were women who made their money with the men in town, and they never seemed to have enough money. Angelica didn’t want to take what little they had, nor did she want the money they made that way.
“I want to talk to you, Angelica.” Lilly dropped herself on the bed and reached out for Angelica’s hand. Angelica took it, pulled herself from her sitting position on the floor and joined Lilly sitting on the bed.