A few days after the party Ella was still on bed rest. Both Blink and
David had taken the day off to sit with her.
"Why don't you tell us what you did, and where you lived before Jack
brought you here," Blink suggested.
"Yea, we've told you all about us, now its your turn," David chimed in
eagerly.
"All right." Ella agreed reluctantly.
"I've lived here in New York with Mummy, Daddy and Jack until I was 7.
That winter Mummy caught scarlet fever and died. Grandma Sullivan
moved in with us and took care of me and Jack until she died later
that winter. When she died, Daddy went crazy and somehow got himself
thrown in jail. The landlord kicked us out of the apartment the next
day. Jack tried to take care of me but finally he took me to the
Children's Aid Society and I got sent to Missouri on the next Orphan
Train. I was adopted by the owners of a general store in Saint Joseph
soon after we arrived there. They were an elderly couple but they took
good care of me. I went to school, helped around the store, learned to
sew, cook, and clean and played with the children who lived in town."
"I'd lived there for 5 years when Jack came and got me. He asked my
foster parents if I could go with him to Santa Fe. By then they were
both too old to keep up with a 12 year old, so they let me go with
Jack. When we got to Santa Fe Jack got both of us jobs at a nearby
ranch. Jack learned how to take care of the horses and I helped out
around the house."
"The man who owned the ranch had a son. The boy was my age, maybe a
little older. The first few years we were the best of friends. We
played together, went riding together and did everything kids could do
on a ranch. Then, last year, all that changed."
***FLASHBACK***
"So Ella, is anyone escorting you to the dance next Saturday?" Ryan
asked trying to sound very casual.
"No one has been brave enough to ask Jack's permission."
"Would you go with me if I asked you?"
"I guess so. but it wouldn't be the same."
"Why the hell not? Ain't I the same as any fella in Santa Fe?"
"You're not the same as the other fellas. You're my best friend. I've
known you too long. I want to go with a fella who takes special care
of how he asks me. I want to go with someone who makes me feel like a
fairy princess."
Ryan glared at her for a long minute and then stormed off with a beet
red face. A few hours later another boy asked Ella to go to the dance
with him. She quickly agreed, wanting to forget the encounter with
Ryan.
The night of the dance, Ella glowed with excitement. Jack teased her
that if she didn't settle down she would burst. Ella's escort,
Jeffery, arrived on time and whisked her off to the dance. The trouble
started half way through the dance. Ella and Jeff had just sat down to
rest when Ryan came up with a sardonic smirk on his face.
"Howdy Jeff. Do ya mind if I steal Miss Kelly away for a while?" he
asked jerking Ella to her feet. Jack, who was nearby, saw what was
going on and come over to the trio.
" Why don't ya go sober up before ya come nea my sista, Ryan," Jack
said prying the other boy's hand from his sister's arm.
"If you wanna keep your job,Kelly, you'll just turn around and let me
talk with Ella in private."
Jack stared at him long and hard, then turned away and took Ella home.
***Unflashback***
"The next morning, Ryan's father fired us. Jack decided that the best
thing for us was to move to New York. On our way back we stopped to
see my old family and found out they had died 2 weeks earlier. You
know the rest. We got to NYC, found you guys, and here we are," Ella
concluded.
"That's quite a story," David said
David had taken the day off to sit with her.
"Why don't you tell us what you did, and where you lived before Jack
brought you here," Blink suggested.
"Yea, we've told you all about us, now its your turn," David chimed in
eagerly.
"All right." Ella agreed reluctantly.
"I've lived here in New York with Mummy, Daddy and Jack until I was 7.
That winter Mummy caught scarlet fever and died. Grandma Sullivan
moved in with us and took care of me and Jack until she died later
that winter. When she died, Daddy went crazy and somehow got himself
thrown in jail. The landlord kicked us out of the apartment the next
day. Jack tried to take care of me but finally he took me to the
Children's Aid Society and I got sent to Missouri on the next Orphan
Train. I was adopted by the owners of a general store in Saint Joseph
soon after we arrived there. They were an elderly couple but they took
good care of me. I went to school, helped around the store, learned to
sew, cook, and clean and played with the children who lived in town."
"I'd lived there for 5 years when Jack came and got me. He asked my
foster parents if I could go with him to Santa Fe. By then they were
both too old to keep up with a 12 year old, so they let me go with
Jack. When we got to Santa Fe Jack got both of us jobs at a nearby
ranch. Jack learned how to take care of the horses and I helped out
around the house."
"The man who owned the ranch had a son. The boy was my age, maybe a
little older. The first few years we were the best of friends. We
played together, went riding together and did everything kids could do
on a ranch. Then, last year, all that changed."
***FLASHBACK***
"So Ella, is anyone escorting you to the dance next Saturday?" Ryan
asked trying to sound very casual.
"No one has been brave enough to ask Jack's permission."
"Would you go with me if I asked you?"
"I guess so. but it wouldn't be the same."
"Why the hell not? Ain't I the same as any fella in Santa Fe?"
"You're not the same as the other fellas. You're my best friend. I've
known you too long. I want to go with a fella who takes special care
of how he asks me. I want to go with someone who makes me feel like a
fairy princess."
Ryan glared at her for a long minute and then stormed off with a beet
red face. A few hours later another boy asked Ella to go to the dance
with him. She quickly agreed, wanting to forget the encounter with
Ryan.
The night of the dance, Ella glowed with excitement. Jack teased her
that if she didn't settle down she would burst. Ella's escort,
Jeffery, arrived on time and whisked her off to the dance. The trouble
started half way through the dance. Ella and Jeff had just sat down to
rest when Ryan came up with a sardonic smirk on his face.
"Howdy Jeff. Do ya mind if I steal Miss Kelly away for a while?" he
asked jerking Ella to her feet. Jack, who was nearby, saw what was
going on and come over to the trio.
" Why don't ya go sober up before ya come nea my sista, Ryan," Jack
said prying the other boy's hand from his sister's arm.
"If you wanna keep your job,Kelly, you'll just turn around and let me
talk with Ella in private."
Jack stared at him long and hard, then turned away and took Ella home.
***Unflashback***
"The next morning, Ryan's father fired us. Jack decided that the best
thing for us was to move to New York. On our way back we stopped to
see my old family and found out they had died 2 weeks earlier. You
know the rest. We got to NYC, found you guys, and here we are," Ella
concluded.
"That's quite a story," David said