An Obstinate Headstrong Girl. Abigail Bok
Читать онлайн книгу.
secondhand clothing and toys. The bolder ones would designate themselves intermediaries between the adults in their household and the two Anglo visitors, explaining such matters as they deemed sufficiently important to transmit across the gulf.
Rose was evidently a trusted confidante to those able to communicate, and Lizzy overheard a great deal about men who provided or who drank away their earnings, women’s and babies’ health problems, older children who were good and helped out and went to school, or who ran wild and brought greater burdens on their families. The church worker took in all this information and did everything she could to provide advice, encouragement, and relief in crises.
Back at the parish office, Rose was organized and tenacious in her pursuit of elusive items such as schoolbooks, medicine, and food. Those potential donors who resisted all her persuasions were ruthlessly turned over to Father Austen, who in a few pithy words could shame or terrify merchants into generosity. Lizzy came to enjoy her visits to the simple little church, whose almost sole adornment was the striking Virgin of Guadalupe statue she had seen in the Candlemas parade. The passion of its two inhabitants lent a fierce joy to their nonstop battle to keep their poorest parishioners off the edge of the precipice.
Lizzy didn’t say much to her family about these activities: her father would have worried about her safety, her mother would have been all amazement at her wishing to mingle with Catholics and in such sordid surroundings. Mary’s religiosity took an emotional, not a practical, turn, and the younger ones were off every day in Jenny’s car seeking diversion in places more lively than Lambtown. John was trying hard to find work, with no success so far, and she didn’t want to add to his anxieties. His tender heart she feared might break if he witnessed the scenes of extremity that were revealed to her, so she referred to her expeditions only in the most general of terms, and allowed his imagination to fill in the details according to his own gentle fancy.
Chapter Seven
With so much to do, Valentine’s Day weekend and the Red and White Ball were soon upon them. When all her children appeared, arrayed in their finery, before her, Mrs. Bennet could not but be certain that their conquest of Lambtown was assured of success, for “I can’t imagine that a handsomer family will be seen anywhere! Nobody ever had better-looking children than ours.”
Mr. Bennet looked up from his book. “And you are as handsome as any of them,” he said. “Perhaps I should be going to this affair, to ensure that no manly rancher rides off with you across his saddle-bow.”
“You flatter me, my dear. I may have had my share of beauty in my time, but with five grown-up children I should give up thinking of such things.”
“In such a case, a woman rarely has much beauty to be thinking of.”
Mrs. Bennet bridled, and blushed, and herded the family out to their cars.
The ball was being held in the high school gymnasium, daringly transformed à la casbah with yards of pink tenting, fili-greed lanterns, and small café tables for intimate conversation. The Bennets were among the early, but not the first, arrivals, as the orchestra was playing a mix of sentimental and jazzy standards from the forties.
They were politely greeted by the president and board of the Hispanic Heritage Club, and then left to their own devices. Fortunately, Frank Carrillo was already present and, recognizing his young acquaintances from the Candlemas parade, came over with his wife to meet the rest of the family.
“I’m sorry to say that my son George hasn’t yet arrived,” said he, with a teasing glance at Lizzy; “but he’ll be here soon, I’m sure, to give himself the pleasure of meeting you properly. I hope you’ll save a dance for him.”
Lupe Carrillo made an instant hit with Mrs. Bennet by exclaiming over her good-looking family, and they were soon deep in conversation about the joys and trials of motherhood. Mrs. Carrillo, having only one child, was safely inferior to Mrs. Bennet in this regard, so the latter’s happiness with her new friend was complete.
John inquired of Mr. Carrillo about the Hispanic Heritage Club.
“Our group was formed in the 1880s, not so long after the first American families settled here, which happened in the 1870s when the stagecoach road went through, followed soon by a railway. Those arteries brought some trade to the area, and the Americans started sheep ranching—hence the name of Lambtown. Before then, all the land had been in the hands of a few Mexican families, who had held the property rights going back to when California was part of Mexico. Our rights to the land were confirmed by the U.S. government when California became a state, but in the 1870s some of the Mexican families started to sell or lose land to the Anglos.”
“Was your family here at the time?”
“My Carrillo ancestors held the largest cattle rancho, covering this entire section of the Santa Ynez Valley and up into the canyons to the east—the land that is now owned by the Darcy and de Bourgh families, who were among the first Americanos to arrive. My farmland west of town is all that remains of our original land grant.”
“So the club was founded in reaction to the changes taking place?” asked Lizzy.
“The original Spanish-speaking families saw the area becoming Americanized, and waves of immigrants from European countries were also settling here—Italian farmers, Basque sheepherders, later on the Danes at Solvang—and we wanted to band together to preserve some aspects of our traditions and way of life. Over time, the Hispanic Heritage Club became involved in preservation of the Spanish missions in the Santa Ynez, and other philanthropic work. We host the Rodeo Days over Fourth of July weekend, where we have a charreada, a display of traditional Mexican riding techniques. It’s kind of a relic now, so many of the ranches here have turned to raising thoroughbreds—the ones that haven’t converted to vineyard—that it’s hard to find local riders who know the old charreada style. We have to bring in riders from Mexico for the shows. My son, George, is one of the few local boys who rides in the Rodeo Days. I don’t know why more young men don’t learn charreada skills: it certainly makes George popular with the young ladies!”
“This area seems to have a lot of special events—balls, parades, rodeos,” said John. “I didn’t realize we’d moved to such a party town!”
“It’s not my idea of a party town,” said Lydon, “with no nightclubs, no bars, not even a cineplex! Have you checked out Mattei’s Tavern, over in Los Olivos? Not exactly a happening crowd.”
“I’m not sure why you are checking out taverns, Lydon, since you’re not old enough to drink,” said John. Lydon hunched his shoulder.
Mr. Carrillo smiled politely. “Lydon is very right, of course. For younger people’s entertainments, you need to go to Lompoc or UC Santa Barbara. Perhaps that’s why we have so many special events throughout the year—because everyday life here is so dull.”
“Oh, come on, Lydon, I want to dance,” said Jenny, and dragged her husband off. Kitty trailed along in their wake, hoping to win a partner from among the scattering of military men present.
“Miss Elizabeth, I understand you have met Father Austen,” said Mr. Carrillo.
“Yes, I think he’s a dear.”
Mr. Carrillo chuckled. “He would hate to hear you say so.”
As they talked, Lizzy was taking great pleasure in looking about her at the variety of people and dresses, from dowdy to daring. It mattered little to her that none of the young men present had yet approached her for an introduction or a dance. Nevertheless, it was clear that the Bennet family was attracting a good deal of attention and curiosity; she saw various clusters of people glancing their way as they chatted, and amused herself with imagining the drift of their speculations.
But soon enough the interesting subject of the newcomers gave way to a greater stir of excitement. There was a bustle at the door and everyone turned to gape as a resplendent group of young men and women made their appearance.
“It’s those people we saw at