Chapter 5
Meeting the Queen II
Sunday had turned out to be very interesting, Joe thought, when he rode back home from the church. He let his horse jog in a slow, relaxed trot next to the buggy, where Pa was chauffeuring Juliet Heatherstone to the Ponderosa. Joe was looking forward to any further eccentricities the strange lady would come up with. The Sunday morning service already had been quite an experience. Since Adam still wasn’t at home, Joe had anticipated a quiet service without his brother’s pleasant but very loud voice right next to his ear during the chorals and without his brother’s hissed mordant comments on the weaker parts of the sermon. Joe wasn’t very religious, but he really didn’t need to hear Adam’s bizarre ideas about how one should have welcomed the Lost Son, and what said son’s big brother might have really thought about having ‘that rascal’ back. So Joe had envisioned how he for once would sit in the pew, just enjoying a warm spring morning and letting his mind slowly slip away without being disturbed. It had looked like a very good plan, indeed. What Joe had not anticipated was—Juliet Heatherstone, the Queen of England. Joe fully understood the origins of this nickname since he had witnessed her making her way down the aisle, tall and confident, with a dress entirely too cheerful for the likings of Virginia City’s church ancients, greeting people left and right with only so much as a hinted nod. The Queen had sat next to his father, who had beckoned her here, at Adam’s usual place, and, Joe had to give her that, had substituted his brother quite effectively. She had commented on Reverend Oldman’s every second word, low and biting, and her “amen” after the sermon had held a definite touch of irony. Her singing voice had been as loud as Adam’s, but unfortunately the similarities ended there. Not that her voice in itself was unpleasant, but Joe was sure she had been singing at least a halftone below everybody else for most of the time—except for the parts where she had vaulted into a never heard of and completely uncalled-for sphere of soprano. Joe was sure his ear wouldn’t recuperate from that for some time.
Now Miss Juliet was chatting amiably with his father while they drove up the broad road to the ranch yard. Miss Juliet. The introductions Pa had made after the service had surely held a quality of their own.
“Miss Heatherstone, these are my sons, Joseph and Eric. Boys—Miss Juliet Heatherstone.”
Joseph and Eric, really, Joe had thought. His father had seemed a little self-conscious or even humble, though, which was a mystery in itself. He obviously had felt that in the presence of the Queen herself “Joe and Hoss” would have been to—profane?
She had held out her hand to Joe. “Mr. Cartwright.”
“Mr. Cartwright is my father, Miss Juliet. Call me Joe,” he had offered.
She had looked down on him as if he had said something indecent. Or—Joe had sniggered inwardly at this thought—as if he was a servant who had failed to call her “your royal highness”. Well, however, it was easy for her to perform a look down on him. She was about the same height he was, and Joe strongly suspected she even surmounted him an inch or two.
“Joe, then.” It had sounded far less enthusiastic than Joe would have liked and had come with a barely hidden resigned sigh. But she had recovered quickly and nodded with a smile when they shook hands.
Hoss had given her one of his broad friendly grins. He obviously liked the idea of being able to look a woman straight in the eye, and Miss Juliet came closer to this ideal than any girl he had met before. (Well, there was the case of Bessie Sue, but Hoss had never considered her as real and proper girl material.)
“An’ I would be Hoss, ma’am,” he had said and shaken her hand vigorously.
Surprisingly she had given back his handshake with equal enthusiasm and she had said, “Hoss” with a genuine smile and not the slightest trace of a sigh. Maybe she’d given up, Joe ventured a guess.
Joe came out of his musing when they came to a stop in front of the ranch house. Hoss beat him at helping Miss Juliet from the buggy, and so he led the horses into the barn, tended to them and then followed the others into the house for lunch.
I just love so much that you developed a friendship between Adam and Juliet in this series before developing a romance (though of course there were sparks from the start). ? I just always feel like friendship is so important for a couple …
Enjoyable, as your writing always is. So glad there’s more to go. Thx for writing! (And hope all is well w you …)
Oh, oh, I’m so happy you are starting to read the series!
I agree, friendship is important for a couple. And I really wanted to explore why they would fall for each other rather than making it love at first sight. Even though I suspect ghat at the end of the day it was love at first sight, only they did not recognise it for what it was.
I hope you’ll enjoy the otherbstories, too.
(And yes, all is well. Just keep my fingers crossed it stays so.)
I would pay to give Adam a bath!!!? Like the way this is headed.
Well, yes, who wouldn’t? 🙂
Thanks a lot, Neano, for reading this and for letting me know you liked it. It’s very much appreciated!