Unbridled Dreams by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Author:Stephanie Grace Whitson [Whitson, Stephanie Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2008-07-31T20:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO YOUR WORK HEARTILY,

AS FOR THE LORD RATHER THAN FOR MEN.

Colossian 3:23 NASB

Irma lay atop her cot and stared up at the canvas tent roof. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to being called Belle,” she said.

From where she lay a few feet away, Helen answered. “That’s the name on your contract, isn’t it?”

“It still feels like I’m putting on airs to use it.”

“Give it a few more days. And stop explaining. Annie Oakley used to be Annie Moses, and Shep Sterling’s mama calls him Henry. Nobody thinks they’re putting on airs. Belle’s a fine name.”

“Wh-what did you just say?” Irma sat up and looked across at Helen.

“I said,” Helen repeated, “to forget about Irmagard and just be Belle.”

“No—not that. About Shep. You said his mama calls him— Henry?” So he was telling the truth about that, too, back in Bill’s barn. He was telling you the truth about everything, and you didn’t believe him. You made fun of him. Oh, brother. Could it be more embarrassing?

Helen cleared her throat. “I thought you knew that.”

“The program says he’s from Texas. Is that really true?”

“If the program says Shep has punched cattle in Texas, then you can believe he’s punched at least two cows in the state of Texas. Show names aside, Bill tries to be as accurate as he can about things like that.”

“But I’m right, aren’t I? Shep’s not really from Texas. And his real name is Henry Mortimer.”

“Which person are people going to talk about, read about, want to come and see at the Wild West? Irmagard Friedrich or Liberty Belle? A cowboy named Henry or Shep? It’s not very hard to figure out, is it? And I’m no gossip, so that’s all I’ve got to say on the subject of Henry Mortimer. But I’d love to know where you got Liberty Belle. Which is, as I said, a fine name.”

“Did you ever play dress-up or pretend when you were little?”

“Honey, I started keeping house for my daddy and five brothers when I was ten years old. I didn’t have time to play at much of anything. But I know what you mean. I used to pretend my mama was just outside in the garden. It got me through some awful times.”

What must Helen think of her—a girl whose daddy essentially bought her an audition and a horse. “You must think I’m the world’s most spoiled brat,” she said.

“The Good Lord takes people down different trails, Belle,” Helen said, her voice gentle. “He don’t love me any less because He let me have a different childhood from you. Now hush up about all that and tell me where you got the name.”

Irma took a deep breath. “I was about fourteen when I started trying to do a combination of things I’d seen at a traveling circus that came through town. And you know how they take off their hat and take a bow and pretend the announcer is calling their name? Well, I just could not imagine anyone hollering Ladies and gentlemen .

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