She stirred, and Herbert touched her shoulder. “Gladys. Wake up.”
She opened her eyes. “What? What’s going on? Why have you awakened me?”
“We need to talk.”
“What time is it?”
“A little past seven.” He pulled up a chair and sat down. “I know it’s early, but it’s the only chance I have. Susanna is watching the hotel for me.”
“She’s back? Oh, thank goodness. Hopefully that means Lia will be here soon.”
“Probably after she gets her boys off to school.” Herbert twisted his hands. “Look, I have to tell you something. Something has happened that has changed me.”
“Changed you?” She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. She scooted up in the bed. “What in the world are you talking about, Herbert?”
“I was responsible for the fire at the hotel. I haven’t told my brother yet, but I took the money from the desk and knew it would be missed, and so I set the fire, hoping to cover up what I’d done. That was the money I used to invest in that project I told you about.”
“Frankly, I don’t care. I wish the entire place had burned to the ground.” She shifted to make herself more comfortable. “I certainly don’t want you telling Harrison. He’d probably have you thrown in jail to teach you another lesson.”
“And he’d be right to do so. Look, I’ve been wrong. I’ve been foolish to believe I knew better than everyone else. We are going to accept responsibility for what we’ve done and do right by Harrison.”
“What we’ve done? I’ve certainly done nothing wrong.” She folded her arms against her body. “This is madness.”
“We’re going to move to the hotel and live there. We’re going to take care of the place and prove to Harrison that we’ve changed—that I’ve changed. Then maybe he will reestablish us as we desire. It’s our only chance to make things right.”
“You’re mad. Completely mad. I’m not going to live in the hotel, and I’m certainly not going to do manual labor. I wasn’t born to that and won’t start now. You do as you wish, but I’m staying right here. At least until I can figure out a way to leave.”
“But don’t you see? If we do as Harrison has asked and do it well, we can leave. He said that if I learned to manage things properly, he would set us up elsewhere. We hold the solution in our own hands.”
“I’ve seen how much work goes into that hotel with the laundry alone. I cannot manage it.”
“Well, maybe we could pay Lia to handle the laundry, but you could strip the beds and clean the rooms. Then, when the laundry has been returned, you could remake the beds. That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”
She looked at him as if he’d suggested she shoot the pastor. “You are mad. I think perhaps I will send a telegram to my dear friend Harriet in Denver. Perhaps I can reside with her for a time.”
Herbert reached out to touch her arm, but Gladys jerked away. He frowned. “I know we haven’t had a good marriage, but I’m hoping we can figure our way through this and get back on our feet again. Gladys, you’re my wife, and if you want to return to the kind of life we had, you’ll have to do your part.”
“You have lied and failed to provide for me as you promised. Perhaps a divorce is a better solution.”
His shoulders sagged. “Perhaps. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to that.”
Herbert got up and cast a glance over his shoulder. Gladys seemed surprised by his comment. Maybe she didn’t really mean it.
He gave her a nod. “I suppose you’ll do as you please. You always have.”
20
Susanna was impressed by the change that had come over her father. He was spending longer and longer hours at the hotel and only occasionally asked Manuel to watch over the place. To Susanna’s greatest surprise, her father had even taken to helping her strip the linens from the rooms and air out the bedding. She found she had less and less to do, which gave her more time to ponder her future.
Even now, her father was upstairs sweeping out the unoccupied rooms while Susanna ironed sheets and pillowcases. She imagined it wouldn’t be long before Uncle Harrison came back through San Marcial and she could report the way her father had taken over his duties. Maybe then she would make the announcement about her engagement to Owen. He didn’t want to wait much longer to marry, and neither did she.
They spent most of their free time together now, and she wasn’t sure why she hadn’t told her family about their plans. Often they sat at the hotel, talking in hushed whispers. Her family had to be curious about what was being said.
Telling her parents about her engagement was difficult, however. She knew her father had guessed at their situation. After all, they spent every free hour together. Her mother, however, still wanted very little to do with Susanna. She made it clear that Susanna had wronged her greatly by refusing to fix all of their problems with her money. Susanna had tried to talk to her about Father and the change in him, but it was only one more thing her mother blamed on Susanna. Mother had even mentioned the possibility of leaving San Marcial and her marriage, and had told Susanna in no uncertain terms that if it happened, it would be her fault. Telling Mother that she planned to marry Owen and would need the house back would never set well. It might even completely end Mother’s relationship with any of them. Susanna didn’t want that.
“Hello?”
It was Lia, and Susanna put the iron on the stove and called for her to join her in the family quarters.
“How nice to see you again,” Susanna teased. “It’s been, what, a whole day?”
They laughed. Lia had become a sister to Susanna in every way, even handing down wonderful Mexican-style clothes to her.
“I tried on those blouses you sent. They’re wonderful. So much cooler than anything I brought with me.”
Lia nodded. “They are wonderful. The cotton is so light and fine, and the design so much looser than most American clothes. It lets the air cool you so much better.”
“I’m sure my mother will be offended that I’m wearing such bright colors.” Susanna had put away her mourning clothes when they moved to San Marcial several months earlier, but her mother still thought it completely inappropriate. “She’ll be even more offended by the plans I have with Owen.”
“You haven’t told your family that you plan to marry?”
“No.” Susanna left her ironing and came to the table. “Why don’t you sit, and I’ll get you some tea?”
“I can’t stay. I just wanted to pick up the bedding, since I finished up at your house and am waiting for a casserole to finish baking. I thought it’d be just as easy to come get it as to have you bring it. That way I can go ahead and get the laundry started.”
“It’s in the wagon under the stairs. I wanted to finish the ironing in the cool of the morning. Despite how much the days have cooled down, I’m afraid that’s one habit that remains.”
“So, when do you plan to tell them about you and Owen?” Lia asked. “I want to host a party for you.”
Susanna considered this for a moment. “I don’t know. I suppose I’ll talk to Owen about it tonight. I think Father and Gary already know where it’s headed, but my mother . . . well, she’s an entirely different matter. What’s her mood today? Maybe I should go tell her when she’s alone and in a decent frame of mind.”