Kate's Secret

 by Lois vH

Circle C Ranch, California, June 11, 1886

Kate and mother told me more of Kate’s story today, and I can scarcely believe it!

It is a dreary Sunday afternoon. It is raining and Andi paces the living room. “Mother! I am so nervous!”

“Andrea, calm yourself!” You will be a wonderful bride! Don’t worry!”

“But! What if it rains, what if, what if, what if!!!” 

What if I get sick, what if Riley does! What if Riley doesn’t want to marry me! No! That won’t happen…

Mother sighs and looks at Kate. “Do you have any ideas to calm these pre-wedding jitters?”

“Well, I can’t say I have any, but maybe we could go upstairs and find your wedding dress! Tell us about your wonderful day, the party, your jitters! 

“What a wonderful idea!”

Andi, Kate and Mother climb up the stairs into the attic. The wonderful musty smell of old things greets her, and Andi instantly calms down. 

Mother looks around and sighs, “Where did I leave all that stuff! Andi, you search over there, Kate there, and I will take this area. It should be in a large cloth bag.” The three ladies talk while looking.

As Andi is digging around, she uncovers a cradle, Andi looks closer. Its not any of ours! Oh! There is a name on the side, Rose Elizabeth. Rose Elizabeth!!! I have never in my whole life heard that name! Another surprise sister? What is going on! Doesn’t ANYONE ever tell me what goes on!

“Mother? There is a cradle here! It… It says… Rose Elizabeth!”

 Katherine gasps. Mother looks up and stares.

“Mother! Why did you save that!” 

“I couldn't make myself throw it away! I’m sorry.”

Katherine looks at Andi. “I suppose, I should tell you the whole story.”

“Katherine… are you sure?” 

“Yes mother, Andrea has the right to know.”

Mother takes the cradle gently in her arms, Andi pulls out a few chairs and Kate starts talking.

“I always hated ranch life, sure, I loved my horse and riding her once in awhile, but I hated everything else. I was 15 and wanted to go to Aunt Rebecca’s house and live with her, go to a lady’s school and practice my social graces.

Andi grimaces. Sounds like Melinda!

“I begged and begged but Father wouldn’t allow it. One night I snuck out, I went to the city to Aunt Rebecca, had a wonderful time and I soon met Troy…” Kate sighs, “Troy… I started meeting him more and more often… He worked close to the Ladies academy and after school… we did some things… Oh! I should have never done it!”

 Kate puts her head in her hands and a few tears run down her face. 

Mother strokes Kate on her back and continues. “We were horrified, one day she was just gone! Father asked everywhere! Then it struck me, she must have gone to the city. James went to Rebecca, and sure enough Kate was there, Kate was extremely mad, but Father insisted and took her back.”

Kate sits up. “I was indeed very mad… I was making plans to run away again, but when I saw how much my family loved me, I decided that maybe I shouldn’t. Troy had found our house and at night I would open my window, and he would slingshot messages up to me… He always was a crazy man.”

Kate smiles sadly and goes on. “I did that for a few weeks but then… I missed my monthly… and I also felt so, so, sick!”

Andi gasps and closes her eyes. No, no, no! She was only 15!

“Yes, Andi! I knew it… I was carrying a child, Troy’s child… I had to run away! One night I did, Troy took me to his cabin far away in the woods. The next day Troy got preacher and he married us. I though I was happy, that I loved Troy but really… I wasn’t. I was very homesick, and Troy was gone most of the time.

Mother starts crying. “Father looked everywhere for you! But you had disappeared! Later we found Troy’s notes in your room. We accepted it. You had run away with a man… Father was extremely mad, he told us we could never talk about Kate again, never! It would ruin our reputation.” 

Andi nods.

“Then I got a message, from Kate… She was in the family way! And about to give birth! I was in shock.”

“I told mother that I had told Aunt Rebecca and she had offered her home for a short while…” Kate paused. “I told everyone that I needed a break to recuperate from what all had happened and so I hurried to the city.”

Andi stares… “But… but how! How did Troy allow you to go!”

“Oh, Troy was on one of his long trips, he never knew I left…

“Did he know you were… that you were…”

“Having a baby? Oh yes! When I first told him he walked away cursing, but after he just ignored the fact.”

Mother gently interrupts. “She had her baby, and I was with her. A beautiful brown-haired baby! She looked a lot like you Andrea.”

“I named her after you and mother, Rose, your middle name and Elizabeth, mother’s name. The cradle came from Aunt Rebecca, she painted her name on the side and gave it to me, for Rose. But then… then…”

Kate and Mother start crying.

Something happened to Rose… I know it!

“Rose was very weak, and 3 days later… she, she died. I went back home and took the cradle and hid it up here. I also never said a word… you, Andrea are the first family member to ever know.” 

I lost Taffy… but that is so much different than a baby… Imagine, if me and Riley! I can’t even imagine!

“Aunt Rebecca never said a word. And I, I went back to Troy, he never asked what happened, but I think he knew.”

Andi is speechless. “Oh Kate! I am so glad you told me!”

“You aren’t mad at me anymore for showing up unexpectedly?”

“No Kate! By Gods grace no. I love you!”

Mother jumps up. “Oh! My dinner!” 

Kate wipes her tears away. “So much for seeing mother’s wedding dress! But I think we did successfully tokk your mind away from tomorrow!”

Andi laughs. “You sure did!”