HoneHoneyHhhhdkfpsdojf’oispfjv’jlaskc;alskcm;laskcHhhhhspoeriwpeoirp4i.x.x.x.xPreviously in Wild Honey: When Alaina and Jared arrive in Omaha, Jared discovers the hotel has filled in his absence and there is no room for Alaina. He has just decided to give Alaina his room and go find another for himself when his fiancée, Susan, arrives. She takes in the situation and immediately offers to share her room with Alaina. When they arrive at the room, however it becomes obvious that far from sharing her own room with Alaina she expects the younger woman to bunk with her maid, Phoebe. Susan has managed to dispose of an unwanted extra for dinner and earn Jared’s gratitude in the process with absolutely no inconvenience to herself.

Issue #5

“Have you been her maid long?” Alaina asked curiously.

“She hired me in Denver just before she left for the East when her other maid ran off to get married.  I thought it would be a good experience with the travelin’ and all.” Phoebe grimaced. “It’s been an experience all right.  It’s no wonder she has a hard time keeping maids. I never saw anybody so persnickety in my life. If Mr. Jared ever saw that side of her, she’d never have finagled that marriage proposal out of him.”

“Maybe he will.”

Phoebe made a rude noise. “Not a chance, at least not while he can still wiggle out of it. The betrothal won’t be official until her parents announce it after we get back to Ft. Bridger. She’ll be nice as pie around him till then, even when she’s being a witch to the rest of us.”

“You mean they just got betrothed on this trip?” Alaina asked in surprise.

“I think she’s been trying for awhile, but Mr. Jared never got around to popping the question.”

“She must have been pleased when he finally did.”

“Relieved more like. Miss High and Mighty was getting a little panicky. She just turned twenty-two you know. Folks were starting to whisper about her being an old maid.  I’m not sure how she managed to convince him, but she finally did and never misses a chance to tighten her claim. I’ll bet she’s downstairs right now basking in his gratitude because she took such good care of you.”

“You make her sound horribly self-centered and selfish.”

“No worse than she is. Speaking of which, I guess I’d better get back to work.  I swear she tried on six gowns before she found one she wanted to wear tonight.  It will take me half the night just to pick up her mess before I do her packing.  “Make yourself at home,” Phoebe said over her shoulder. “I’ll be right next door if you need anything.”

“Would you mind some company while you work?” Alaina asked.

Phoebe flashed her a big smile. “Wouldn’t mind at all, in fact I’d be glad of it.”

The evening passed surprisingly fast as Phoebe regaled Alaina with stories of growing up in the West.  Phoebe reminded Alaina of a little brown sparrow. She was slight with nondescript brown hair, a smattering of freckles across her nose, and an open friendly smile.  By the time they finished their rather plain supper, they were vastly pleased with each other and well on the way to becoming friends.

 Exhausted by her sleepless night, and unfamiliar routine of traveling, Alaina went to bed shortly after dark and was soon sound asleep.  She started awake a short time later as Phoebe jumped up from the bed.

“What’s the matter?” Alaina asked in alarm.

“Her highness is back,” Phoebe said, hurriedly stuffing her feet into her shoes.  “She’ll have my head if she catches me napping.”

For the first time Alaina realized she could hear Jared and Susan talking through the door.  “But she told you not to wait up for her.”

“Won’t matter. Especially since Mr. Jared doesn’t seem to be falling in with her plans. She’ll likely be in the devil’s own temper.” Phoebe grinned as she straightened her dress. “Does my heart good to see her not get her way for once.” The door in the other room opened and Phoebe winked at Alaina before schooling her features into a subservient expression and hurrying into Susan’s room.

“Goodnight, Sweetheart,” Susan said in a soft throaty voice. “Think of me in your dreams.” The door shut with a gentle click.  There was a soft sigh then, “Well, what are you standing there for, Phoebe? Help me get ready for bed.”

As Alaina listened to Susan’s sharp orders, she didn’t know whom she felt the sorriest for, Phoebe who had to put up with it now or Jared who was walking into a lifetime of it.  

Then next thing she knew, Phoebe was shaking her shoulder hours later “Wake up, Alaina,” whispered. “It’s morning.”

“What time is it?”

“A little after seven. Mr. Jared says we have to be downstairs and ready to go in a little less than an hour. I let you sleep as late as I dared. Your breakfast is on the bureau.”

“Oh.” Alaina scrambled out of bed. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”

Susan’s petulant voice came through the door. “Phoebe, have you found my green ribbon yet?”

“Sorry I can’t help you pack,” Phoebe whispered. 

“Phoebe, what’s keeping you?”
“Be right there, Miss Prescott.” With a wink at Alaina, Phoebe whisked herself through the door into the other room.

Alaina dressed, packed her things, ate breakfast and still arrived in the lobby long before Susan and Phoebe. Jared was already there pacing the marble floor in obvious agitation. He came to an abrupt halt when he saw her.

She smiled. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” He glanced up the stairs. “Dare I hope that Susan is right behind you?”

“Phoebe was still packing when I left.”

“Damnation!” he said under his breath as he looked at his watch again. “We’re going to miss our train if she doesn’t hurry up.”

“Maybe she doesn’t realize how late it is,” Alaina suggested.

“Good point.” Jared glanced up the stairs again. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go tell her to hurry some.”

“That’s all he knows about it,” the desk clerk muttered as Jared bounded up the stairs.  “A grizzly would think twice about telling that woman to hurry.”

Alaina bit the inside of her lip and pretended not to hear as she walked across the lobby and sat down to wait.  It might be interesting to see what kind of reaction Jared got from his fiancée.

She didn’t have long to wait.  Less than five minutes later, Jared and Susan appeared arm in arm.  As they descended the curving staircase, Alaina couldn’t help thinking they looked like the king and queen making an entrance.  Though they seemed totally absorbed in their conversation, there was little doubt that Susan knew every eye in the room below was turned toward her.

“I know,” she was saying, “but I just can’t be ready at the snap of a finger like some people.  I refuse to appear in public unless I’m properly groomed.”

“And you look stunning as usual,” Jared said soothingly. “I merely mentioned that we’re going to have to hurry to catch our train.”

Susan bit her lip and looked up at him apologetically.  “Oh, dear that is my fault. If I hadn’t told Phoebe to pack for Elaine, we’d have been down long ago.”

“That was very generous of you,” Jared said, patting her hand where it lay on his arm, “but probably unnecessary.  Alaina is used to taking care of herself.  I’m sure she wouldn’t have minded packing her own bag.”

“Yes, she does seem rather...” Susan paused delicately,  “countrified doesn’t she?”

The corner of Jared’s mouth quirked upward. “She’s as countrified as fresh air and sunshine.”

 Alaina stiffened in indignation. How dare he make fun of her? She might not be particularly sophisticated, but at least she didn’t lie and blame other people for her shortcomings like his precious fiancée. She turned away in disgust. Maybe he deserved Susan after all.

****   

The day was a long and difficult one for Jared. Susan and Alaina’s dislike for each other was even worse than he had anticipated. Susan would make a comment about Alaina’s quaint hairstyle or the  cute little dress that was just like the one Susan had worn before she was old enough to let her skirts down. Then Alaina would smile sweetly and voice her surprise that the styles had changed so little in the many years since Susan was her age.

Eventually, Susan seemed to realize her barbs were having no effect on her adversary and she began to ignore Alaina to concentrate her full attention on her fiancé. Jared spent an interminable afternoon listening to Susan make wedding plans and wishing he were traveling alone.  By late afternoon he was heartily sick of hearing about exclusive  guest lists and hand engraved invitations. It was with a feeling of profound relief that he excused himself to go make arrangements for their dinner.Unfortunatley his respite was short-lived.

“Is that where we’re supposed to sleep?”

Jared heard Susan the minute he reentered the train car.  He swallowed a sigh. In the few minutes it had taken him to find the dining car and check on supper, the porter must have come to convert the seats into beds. He’d hoped to get his fiancée into the dining car before that happened.

“Yes, ma’am,” the porter was saying. “Our Silver Palace Sleepers were designed with the passenger’s comfort in mind.”

“Your idea of comfort and mine differ greatly.” Susan’s sniffed. “I’ll take a private Pullman any day.”

“They aren’t available on the Central Pacific railroad,” Jared reminded her rejoining the party. “They’re serving dinner in the dining car. I’ve reserved a place for us.”

“I certainly hope the food is better than the sleeping arrangements.”

The porter bristled defensively. “Our chef is world renowned.”

“I’m sure we’ll find his efforts quite satisfactory,” Jared said with a placating smile.

 “Well, I’m certainly not going to sleep in one of those top berths and neither is Phoebe,” Susan snapped. “I’m afraid of heights.”

Phoebe looked surprised. “I don’t mind, Miss Prescott.”

“I may need you during the night,” Susan said with a toss of her head.  “I don’t want to have to climb a ladder to get to you.”

“I’ll be happy to take a top berth,” Alaina said quietly.

Susan gave her a cool nod. “Why thank you, Elaine. I’m sure you’ll be perfectly comfortable there.”

Jared frowned. Alaina’s expression reminded him more of a storm cloud than sunshine. So far there hadn’t been any open hostility between the two women, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

 He tucked Susan’s hand through the crook of his arm and tried to ignore the feeling of impending doom. “We’d best head back to the dining car,” he said. “They’re holding a table for us.”

 The train’s sway along the track made walking awkward. Phoebe and Alaina tried to hold each other steady, but were soon giggling merrily as the train’s undulations made them stagger back and forth. Determined to move with her usual grace, Susan held Jared’s arm in a death grip. He found himself wishing she’d relax a little and have some fun.     

Though the food was excellent, dinner was not a rousing success.  Since Susan ignored both Alaina and Phoebe, conversation was desultory. Somewhere between the soup and the pheasant under glass Jared became aware of an undercurrent between Phoebe and Alaina.

Every so often, when they knew Susan wasn’t looking, they’d grin at each other or wink conspiratorially. They reminded him of two schoolgirls making faces behind the teacher’s back. Though it had been years since he indulged in such childish behavior, he found himself wishing Phoebe and Alaina would let him in on their private joke.