The Major's Daughter

by Regina Jennings

  Caroline’s hand felt cool in his. “Let’s sit down, Frisco. Let’s take some time to think this over.”

  The train was going to leave. Everything depended on him being on that train. But Caroline was saying something important. What she was telling him would change everything—just like what Mrs. Hunter had told him had changed everything. His focus fell back on Caroline. Again, those sad eyes. She knew more than he did.

  “You want me to miss the train?” he said. “I was going to see my mother.” He felt like a child repeating a solemn promise.

  “You don’t need to get on the train. That woman is leaving without you because she got caught in fraud. You’ll never see her again.”

  He allowed Caroline to lead him to a bench, but his knees wouldn’t bend. How could he sit and visit while everyone boarded? He twisted his head to release some of the tension in his neck. The train whistle sounded, and the giant wheels screeched as they began to rotate. Had Caroline not held him by the hand, he would have sprung toward the stairs and made a last, desperate leap to be on the train.

  In his gut, he knew Caroline was telling the truth, but maybe there was still a chance. Maybe this woman wasn’t his aunt, but there could be someone at the train station waiting for him. A man—tempered by hard work and possessing confidence earned through success—might be watching for him. If he wasn’t on that train, what would they tell his dying mother? How could they explain to her that her son had decided not to come?

  The tension remained until the train rumbled away down the tracks. Finally he could breathe. Finally he could learn exactly what Caroline was trying to tell him.

  “Let’s walk,” he said. He couldn’t stand still any longer.

  He headed away from the tracks toward where the new houses were going in. Families lived here. Families with a mother, father, and children. Probably with a grandma and maybe a niece or nephew to boot. Frisco sighed. “I’m ready now. Say what you were going to say.”

  Caroline had kept his hand in hers, like he was a naughty puppy liable to bolt at any time. “Sophie recognized that woman. She isn’t any relation to you. She’s a cardsharp. Someone hired her to draw you out of town. Someone who doesn’t want you to show up at the hearing in Kingfisher tomorrow.”

  Her words burned like acid, but he had to let them penetrate. “Then how did she know what she told me? She knew I’d been found on a train. She knew that my mother had visited me when I was a baby and that I had brothers. She knew about the handkerchief that was left with me. She even had the right initials.”

  “The train part, I don’t know. Maybe Patrick or Sophie told someone in town and the story got passed around. Or maybe they concocted it based on your name. And your handkerchief was out there hanging with the rest of your clothes. Even I noticed that the monogram didn’t match. As for the rest . . . do you know for certain that your mother visited you and that you have brothers, or did she tell you that?”

  Amazing how quickly the pictures had taken root in his mind and become part of his story. It had only been a few hours, but already Frisco imagined that perhaps he remembered one of those visits with his mother. Perhaps he could conjure her image if he tried hard enough.

  “You’re right,” he said. “I hadn’t heard that before. I so badly wanted to believe. . . .”

  “I know.” She laid her head on his arm as their steps slowed.

  “Nothing has changed. I’m in the same spot I was this morning, but I feel that I’ve lost so much more.”

  “Those rotten deputies have no conscience, and that’s a fact. But something has changed.” Her smile was finely tuned to draw him out. “They had a plan to keep you away from the hearing. Now that plan has failed, and you will be there representing your clients. That’s a step in the right direction.”

  Frisco threw his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to his side. The events of the day would haunt him for years, but she’d said exactly what he needed to hear.

  “Let’s find the buggy,” he said.

  “And the horse I borrowed. That sergeant said he’d keep it for me until I headed back.”

  “We have a long ride ahead of us,” Frisco said. Which would give him a lot of time to mourn what wasn’t going to happen, and a lot of time to think ahead.

  Chapter twenty-eight

  Caroline dipped a washcloth into the basin and scrubbed the cool water on her face. It was still dark outside, but Frisco would be here soon. Last night had been a painful parting. How she wished she hadn’t had to send him off alone after his disappointment, but evening had fallen, and even on the frontier, propriety must be observed. He’d kissed her with a longing that went beyond romance. He wanted a home, a family to belong to. She understood and was willing to join him, but he had to believe it would last. She couldn’t stake her future on someone who wasn’t sure he had one.

  Bucky bleated, notifying her that Frisco had arrived. Caroline got her hat, gloves, and handbag. She’d prayed all the short night for Frisco. Now was the time to show the concern she’d felt in those dark hours.

  She opened the door. Even with only his outline discernible in the darkness, she could tell he’d shored up his courage. The jaunty tilt of his hat, the swinging fringe on the arms of his buckskin coat, and his swagger were so much of what had captured her imagination years ago.

  Without pause, he strode to her and snatched her out of the doorway. He spun her around and gave her a confident smack on the lips.

  Safe in his arms, Caroline smiled and flicked the brim of his hat. “Frontier clothes today? I thought you would wear your city clothes for this important meeting.”

  “I don’t want to look like the rest of those impostors. I didn’t come to this territory lately. This is my past. Other people have homes and families, but I had this dream of a land and a people. I don’t want to be confused with the rest of the lawyers. I’m going for the runners who gave it a fair shot. The decision should have been made at the end of the race, not before a board, and I’m here to remind them of that.”

  Caroline nearly burst with pride for him. “It represents you well,” she said. “I hope there never comes a day when an honest working man feels underdressed in this territory.”

  “You, on the other hand, look stunning, as always.”

  “A compliment on my appearance? I thought you only gave those to irritate my father.”

  “If you needed more, I’d say it more often. Thankfully, you are fully aware of your beauty, and also that you have a myriad of qualities that are even more impressive.”

  “We should go before you turn my head and we miss the hearing altogether.”

  He waited for her to latch the door behind her, then led her up the bank where the buggy was waiting. Caroline wiped her side of the bench, as it had a bit of morning dew on it. Frisco waited for her to get settled before slacking the reins, and they were off.

  “I owe you for yesterday,” he said. “I couldn’t thank you properly then—I wasn’t ready—but after a night to mull it over, I realized it was better to know before I got to Kansas. If I’d been duped into missing this hearing, I would’ve felt stupid, not just unwanted.”

  “Don’t say that,” Caroline protested. “You aren’t unwanted.”

  “You want me?” He bounced his eyebrows. “This poor-orphan role is working.”

  She punched his arm, which barely made a dent in his thick leather jacket. She’d seen his agony. She knew the hurt he was covering, but she also knew that he had overcome much in his life. If he felt like laughing about it today, then she would laugh. If he was angry tomorrow, she’d let him rant. It was his story, and he’d deal with it as he saw fit.

  And he’d know how to deal with the hearing as well.

  Frisco had made himself scarce since returning from Oklahoma Station. If word reached the Premiers that he had never boarded the train, they might plan more devilment for him. Instead he took circuitous routes to Caroline’s homestead and now to Kingfisher, not wanting to cross pat
hs with those who were plotting to keep him away.

  Kingfisher came into view as the sun reached its zenith. Another start-up town, sprouting out of the dirt. It was bigger than Plainview, but it was a verified town site, surveyed by the government before the race with a land office already in place. Still, Frisco compared the two in his mind while Caroline sang a ditty about a little brown jug. Whether she had learned it from the troopers or her dance-hall-singing stepmother, he wouldn’t ask, but her happiness was contagious.

  Coming home from the train station yesterday, Frisco would have sworn that it would be impossible for him ever to feel as strong as he did this morning, but the night had been profitable. On his knees, heart open, he’d talked it out with his Lord. Who was he? He was God’s child. Would knowing who his parents were change who he was? Not really. The people he had come from didn’t dictate who he would be. He was on the verge of choosing a family for himself. It would be that decision that set his course from here. Not his parentage.

  When they reached the plain board building where the hearings were being held, Frisco dropped Caroline off, then went to park the buggy. When he returned, she was waving him toward the open door. He recognized McFarland’s voice, clipped and to the point, coming out the window. Deep grumblings came from other attendees, and then another voice he recognized spoke up, but he couldn’t figure out for the life of him what Patrick was doing here.

  No time to spare. Frisco pushed through the crowded room toward where the contestants stood before the official Register and Receiver.

  McFarland was speaking again. “There’s one name at the top of this petition for a hearing, and he is not here. These outlandish claims by Patrick Smith will not be tolerated, nor should they be entertained. They are immaterial to the facts of this case, which is that these men are here without representation.”

  “No, they’re not.” Frisco emerged from the crowd. “I’m here.”

  No lost family member could have looked as happy to see him as those men did at that second. And no one could have looked more disgusted than McFarland, Bledsoe, Juarez, and Feldstein. Patrick slumped in relief.

  Mr. Robberts dropped his fist to the table. “Finally. Let’s stop arguing about paltry stuff and get to the meat. Did these men abide by the rules, or did they use their status as deputies to start the run from somewhere closer than the line?” With a grumble, he added, “Something we’re seeing a whole lot of recently.”

  “We have witnesses who saw us at the starting line near Darlington,” McFarland said.

  “Witnesses besides each other?” Mr. Admire, the Receiver, asked.

  Juarez sank further in his chair. McFarland adjusted his tie. “If you give us some more time, we can produce as many as you need.”

  “I’m sure you can.” Robberts turned to Frisco. “The burden of proof is on you, sir. It’s tough to prove a negative. If you have a witness saying they spotted them in the territory before noon, then how are we to determine who is telling the truth?”

  “My witness is extremely reliable.” Frisco went to his clients’ table. Mr. Lacroix knew what he was after and passed the envelope to him. “Mr. Robberts and Mr. Admire, I’d like to present evidence that everyone in Plainview has seen.” He pulled out the notorious picture and slid it in front of them.

  “What are we looking at?” Mr. Robberts asked.

  McFarland scoffed. “You’re producing that as evidence? We have a copy of the same picture in our files. That picture was taken on April twenty-second, and it clearly shows who the first arrivals at Plainview were. You won’t find Mr. LaCroix or any of the others there.”

  Frisco placed his hands on either side of the photo and leaned on the committee’s table. “You won’t find them in the photo because they were waiting at the line when this photo was taken. Notice the shadows. It’s hours from noon yet. And just in case there’s an argument over what direction they are facing, by half after twelve, the land surrounding them was filled with settlers.” He straightened as his voice rose. “The only time this photograph could’ve been taken was the morning of April twenty-second or earlier. It’s irrefutable proof that they broke the law, and it’s been on full display in town.”

  The spectators erupted as the officials huddled around the picture.

  When Mr. Robberts raised his head, his face was grim. “It is our duty to decide whether their claims are valid or whether their property should be available for other settlers. In light of the discoveries presented by you gentlemen, we find it to be justice to expel every man in this photo from the territory, and in accordance to the law concerning illegal activity, they are barred from making a claim in the future. They have twenty-four hours to gather their belongings and quit the area.”

  Any quick movement and Frisco might inadvertently release a victory shout, so he stepped slowly from the table. Then, remembering the conversation he’d had with Major Adams, he returned.

  “Thank you, sir, but I think this case gives the board a chance to address a larger matter as well.”

  He looked over the room of townspeople, both from Kingfisher and the surrounding areas. How many of them were protesting a similar case without a photograph as evidence? How many of them had been taken advantage of by those getting paid by their own government? It was high time precedent was set.

  “Mr. Robberts and Mr. Admire, the case today was decided in my clients’ favor because we could prove that the defendants were in the territory before the given time and date. Truthfully, the deputies were supposed to be in the territory, but in order to catch moonlighters. That was their job. Instead, they were competing with the very people they were being paid to protect.

  “You see, according to my sources, all soldiers were disqualified from competing in the race because it was a conflict of interest. I’m asking you to make a ruling that the same restriction applies to law enforcement and anyone else who was being paid that day—whether surveyors or railroad employees—to assist in the run. If you decide this now, many of your cases will be resolved with no further hearing.”

  The effect in the room was instantaneous. A few people shouted amen like they were at a revival, while others hissed and booed. The Register and the Receiver huddled together. This time it was Mr. Admire who answered.

  “We agree with Mr. Smith that the government never intended for the men hired to monitor the race to participate. As far as we know, those rules weren’t expressly written out, but that does not mean they weren’t implied. While this decision will no doubt be revisited in a courthouse, we will file a brief on behalf of all the civilian participants to automatically have all federal and railroad employees stricken from the claims lists.” He turned to Frisco’s clients—Lacroix, Deavers, and the others. “Thank you for persisting in this claim. Had you faltered, Plainview would’ve had corruption ingrained from its inception. My congratulations to you and your representative. Now that we’ve determined that the former owners have lost their rights, our next business is to deed the plots to someone worthy, with special consideration going to those who challenged the holding. We’ll take a brief break and then resume.”

  Frisco stepped away from the table. Caroline’s smiling face was easy to spot in the crowded room. Her eyes looked watery. He was feeling soft in the head too, now that he thought about it. Before he could reach her, he was engulfed by a wave of manly celebration. They might not all get a place of their own, but a way had been opened. And there was Patrick, standing before him, twisting his hat like he was wringing it after a washing.

  “Patrick, I was surprised to see you here,” Frisco said. “I didn’t know you’d joined the suit.”

  Patrick looked miserable. “I owe you an apology. Me and my big mouth. When McFarland came over the day after the storm, I thought he was being friendly. He asked me a dozen questions about how you and I met, then asked how you came to be in the foundling hospital. I even told him about your handkerchief when he saw it. When Sophie told me what he’d done, I was right beset. Ai
led over it something awful. It was on account of me. I came to make things right, but I’m glad you found your way here too.”

  Frisco clapped him on the shoulder. “You are the closest thing to a brother I have, Patrick. You didn’t mean anything by it, so don’t fret. And when we start the discussion, I’ll do what I can to get your name included in the parcel giveaway. You and Millie still need a place of your own.”

  “Wouldn’t that be grand? I’m just sorry for what McFarland put you through. If someone told me that my mother was alive and hunting for me—”

  Frisco squeezed his shoulder. “It’s behind me. Let’s just keep looking forward.”

  And that was exactly what he wanted to do with Caroline.

  Chapter twenty-nine

  The table was upstairs in the unfinished rooms, but his four new chairs were in the kitchen. Four chairs, and he didn’t have to pay anyone if he wanted to sit on them. Frisco, Sophie, Millie, and Amber were in the chairs, gathered around a page that was growing increasingly complicated.

  “She likes chicken and dumplings,” Amber said. “I could make those here early. What time did you tell her to be here?”

  “Eight o’clock. About this time tomorrow evening.” He wiped his hands on his trouser legs.

  “Getting nervous?” Sophie laughed. “Don’t you worry. I’ll bring some nice dishes so your table will be set properly.”

  “How about bird’s-nest pudding?” Millie leaned forward. “I haven’t made one in years, but if I can use this kitchen . . .” She and Patrick were still living in the tent, but if everything went as planned, they wouldn’t be for long.

  “Yes, use the kitchen. I sure couldn’t cook anything in it,” said Frisco.

  There was a crash above their heads. The ladies startled. Frisco jumped up and ran to the ladder that led to the upstairs. “Is everyone all right?”

  Patrick called down, “Right as rain. Bradley and I were trying to frame out a room on the north side. A plank slipped. Nothing hurt.”