Chapter 12

As Days Go By

Over the next few days Kid’s strength was beginning to return. Each day he leaned less and less on Lou as the descended the grand staircase to breakfast. Kid still felt bad about Lou eating in the kitchen and then him ringing for her when he was finished. But Lou just laughed and told him it was the proper thing.

While Kid was eating Lou would usually run down to the stables and take Jimmy his food. It was during one of these visits that Jimmy told her about the portrait of James that Mrs. Beckworth had in her room.

"Doc told me about it yesterday while I was in town." Jimmy told Lou, "He said maybe somehow if you got Kid in there to see it maybe it would jog his memory."

"Yes that would be a good idea." Lou said hesitantly, "But she’s always here. Except on Thursday afternoons." Lou remembered suddenly. "On Thursday’s she goes into town for her meetings. Maybe then I could sneak into her room and check out the painting myself and if it’s there get Kid to have a look."

Lou was thoughtful for a moment then said, "You know Jimmy, it was a Thursday when Kid made that last run. I wonder if Mrs. Beckworth saw him in town or something and set this whole thing up. Doc said she has some pretty nasty people that do jobs for her sometimes."

Jimmy nodded his head, "You may be on to something there Lou. But just watch yourself. If she does have people working for her you could be in danger."

Lou and Jimmy had talked about Lou’s plan on Sunday afternoon. She just hoped nothing went wrong to make those plans change. Jimmy said he would stick close to the house that day incase she needed him. Lou prayed everything would go right.

The next four days almost flew by. The doctor wasn’t coming everyday to check on Kid but every couple of days. He said Kid was healing very well and he was glad to see Kid was getting his strength back.

Lou and Kid spent a lot of time in the stables or sitting on the corral fence watching the horses. Kid would always bring Katy a sugar cube and spend time brushing her and talking to her. Lou was sure the somewhere in Kid he knew who Katy was, but he just hadn’t figured it out yet.

Kid was very quite one evening while he and Lou were in the sitting room watching the full moon rise over the garden. It was a lovely site with the pale moon bathing the garden in it’s simmering light, causing the trees and plants to glow.

Lou hadn’t intruded on Kids thoughts hoping that maybe something was coming to him when he suddenly said, "You know Lou I’m sure I’ve ridden Katy before. I dreamed about her last night and in my dream we were riding so fast. But I don’t know where we were going. And I wasn’t dressed like this either. I was wearing more rugged clothes. You know more like Jim wears. What do you think about that?"

"Well," Lou started carefully. She knew that Kid was describing one of his mail rides but she didn’t want to come right out and say that. "Maybe you were dreaming of something you hope would happen. Not something that actually has happened."

"But I’ve been having other dreams too." Kid said, "Sometimes you’re in them. Sometimes Jim’s in them and sometimes there’s a bunch of other boys that I seem to know but I can’t quite figure it out. You know Lou sometimes I don’t really think their dreams as much as they are memories."

Lou was thoughtful for a moment trying to decide exactly what to tell him when the door to the sitting room opened and Mrs. Beckworth came in. Lou wondered if she had been listening at the door because he timing was perfect. Lou jumped up off the settee and curtsied to Mrs. Beckworth. "Is there anything you need mam?" she asked.

"No Miss. McCloud, I would just like to have some time with my son." She stated this without ever taking her eyes off Kid.

"Yes mam." Lou said, "Mr. Beckworth if you need anything please just let me know otherwise I’ll be retiring for the night." Lou gave another curtsy and backed toward the door to her room.

"Thank you Miss. McCloud," Kid said, "I should be fine until morning."

Lou went into her room and closed the door. She walked to the other side of the room and made noises as if she were getting ready for bed then she softly crept back to the door to listen to what Mrs. Beckworth had to say.

"James I really don’t like that woman." Mrs. Beckworth was saying. "You’re doing much better now so I think the next time Dr. Adams is here I will insist that she leave."

"No mother," Kid said hesitantly, calling Mrs. Beckworth mother never seemed right to him. "I’m sure Dr. Adams will let us know when I am doing well enough to have Miss. McCloud leave. I enjoy her company."

"Yes, I’ve noticed. I think you are enjoying her company a little too much." Mrs. Beckworth stated firmly. "You must remember you place James and your fiancé Angelica. I don’t think she would be too happy about your consorting with the help."

"But I can’t even remember…" Kid paused trying to grasp his fiancés name and coming up short.

"Angelica, dear." Mrs. Beckworth stated.

"Yes, Angelica. I thought she would have been back by now. I don’t even know what she looks like." Kid was worried that he couldn’t remember his woman that he must love but there was nothing. Even in his dream the only woman was Lou.

Mrs. Beckworth patted his hand, "Don’t worry so dear. She will be back soon. She was delayed by bad weather and I’m sure as soon as you see her, your whole memory will come rushing back. Now give your mother a kiss dear I’m going to bed myself."

"Yes mother," Kid said kissing the older woman on the cheek. "I guess I should be going to bed also."

"Oh, by the way dear," Mrs. Beckworth said stopping at the door. "Tomorrow is Thursday and I will be leaving right after breakfast for my meeting in town."

"Yes, I remember. Goodnight." Kid said dejectedly as the older woman left the room. Kid sat back down on the sofa to stair you the large windows at the sky. He couldn’t understand way talking with Mrs. Beckworth always left him feeling so sad. There conversations weren’t many, usually at breakfast and then in the early evenings after dinner in the parlor. But he always felt like there was something she wasn’t telling him.

His talks with Lou on the other hand were wonderful. She always made him feel happy, peaceful. How could it be that his own mother made him uncomfortable while a woman he wasn’t even related to made him feel like the world was made just for them. "And what about your fiancé?" He thought to himself. "Heck you can’t even remember her name for five minutes. Let alone why you asked her to marry you in the first place."

Kid shook his head, got up and headed to bed. "Oh, well at least when I’m asleep I can dream about Lou." He hadn’t told Lou anything about his dreams. Some of them would have been very embarrassing to talk about. But always in his dreams Lou was wearing pants not skirts or dresses like she did but boys pants. It was like she was trying to hide and he wasn’t sure why.