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stubborn because my mother left us. She just packed her clothes and stormed out of the house without a glance backwards.” She glanced up and instead of the tears Anna expected, fire shined in her eyes. “How could a mother do such a thing? How could she leave us? Leave me?”
    Anna didn’t have an answer. She’d never had a child but couldn’t imagine leaving one if she did. “I don’t know, Julia. I’m sure she had her reasons.”
    Julia snorted and rolled her eyes. “She had her reasons, all right. Ronald Douglas and his money.”
    The girl vented for another ten minutes, her face red by the time she’d spoke every wrong doing her mother committed. She looked exhausted afterward and Anna felt the same. The long trip south had taken its toll on her.
    Julia went back inside and spun on her heel to face her. “I’ll leave you now to rest and put your things away. When is your trunk arriving?”
    Anna looked toward her carpet bag. “I have no trunks. All I own is in that bag.”
    Julia looked horrified and glanced between her and the bag several times before saying, “Well, that's unacceptable. We’ll have to remedy that soon. Enjoy your rest, Anna.”
    She left the room, the door clicking softly behind her. Anna turned back to the pond. Her plans had gone nothing like they were supposed to but she had little reason to complain. She was guest in a grand home surrounded by miles of beautiful country.
    The balcony extended the entire front of the house. Anna walked to the far left, surprised to see it curved around the side and continued all the way down to the end. She hesitated about going further but curiosity won out. Another set of open double doors led into a room very similar to her own. She peeked in but didn’t go inside.
    Raised voices drew her attention. The fields behind the house were vast with rows of green growing crops as far as the eye could see.
    A few buildings were located not far from the house, with more in the distance along the road. She saw a few people near the houses and movement by the buildings directly behind the house drew her attention. It didn’t take long to realize it was Gabriel and another man doing something near what looked like a stable. She watched them until they both stopped and looked her way.
    Realizing they could see her, she scurried back to her room, grabbing the double doors to close them but decided against it when a fresh breeze blew into the room.
    Kicking off her boots, she crawled onto that massive bed and sank into the feather mattress. Staring at the ceiling, the days events replayed inside her head, the handsome image of Gabriel Montgomery lingering the longest.
     
     
     
    * * * *
     
     
     
    Seeing Anna stand there watching him took Gabriel by surprise. There hadn’t been a woman on his side of the balcony in longer than he could remember. Even when Evelyn was home she rarely spared a moment of her time seeking him out. Not that Anna was looking for him. If he had to guess, she was just getting aquatinted with her new home and followed the balcony around to his side. Did that mean Julia put Anna in the room adjacent to his?
    “That her?” James straightened and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Is she as pretty close up as she is from a distance?”
    “That's her and yes, she’s just as pretty close up, if not more so.” Gabriel watched her walk back past his room before turning the corner. Knowing Julia, the room next to his is exactly where she put their new guest. Sassy girl. She might have uncharacteristically not have complained about him not marrying Anna when she arrived but she obviously wasn’t going to accept it without trying to change the situation. Purposely putting Anna so close was proof of that.
    “You should have just married her and been done with.”
    Gabriel leaned on the wagon wheel they were trying to fix and could tell by the look on James’ face the old man had more to say on the matter. “Go ahead. Let’s have it