“Lucas?”
He didn’t even seem to realize she was there.
Brianna crossed the floor, knelt in front of him and covered his clenched hands with hers. “Lucas, what is it?”
“The package was from my cousin Charles.” Lucas looked bewildered as he focused on her face. “There was a carriage accident. My mother and sister...” His voice faltered and his eyes closed against the pain.
“Oh, Lucas,” Brianna cried sitting on the edge of the bunk and pulling him into her embrace. His arms went around her, hugging her tightly, desperately. She wondered for a moment if her ribs would break, but then the muffled sobs began against her shoulder and she thought her heart would.
She comforted him as though he were a small child, murmuring soothing words, rubbing his back, smoothing his hair, rocking him back and forth in her arms. Lucas didn’t cry in the traditional sense; the only tears were Brianna’s. But the deep gut-wrenching sounds of sorrow and grief were the most heart breaking she had ever heard. Eventually it ran its course, but he didn’t loosen his hold. It was as though he were afraid to let her go.
“Mother didn’t want me to come,” he said at last. “She had a premonition we’d never see each other again, but I wouldn’t listen.”
“All mothers feel that way when their sons leave. Mine cried for two days when my brother joined the navy.”
“What did she do when you left?”
Brianna smiled. “Bought me new luggage and loaded my car with cookies.”
“Must have baked for days to get enough cookies to fill a train car,” he murmured.
“My mother always thought I was in danger of starving to death.” She made a face. “Mom ought to see me now. She’d be ecstatic.”
Lucas sighed as he released her. “Mine was afraid I’d never come out of my lab long enough to fall in love. I was a great disappointment to her. She wanted grandchildren.”
“I’m sure she was very proud of her brilliant son. She only wanted you to fall in love because she wanted you to be happy.” Brianna rubbed the hand that was still balled into a fist. “It’ll happen, Lucas.” Just as soon as Anna gets here. Her heart clenched at the thought.
“My mother obviously agreed with you,” he said, opening his hand.
Brianna gasped at the ring that lay in his palm. It was an oval sapphire nearly the size of a dime surrounded by an intricate filigree setting of white gold. “How beautiful!”
“The Daniels are an odd bunch,” he said staring at the ring. “They marry for love. This is the ring the oldest son traditionally gives his wife. My mother never took it off until the day I left to come West. I wouldn’t take it.” He smiled sadly. “I thought she was over-wrought. She never even thought of giving it to me when I was betrothed to Marie.”
Privately, Brianna thought Lucas’s mother had probably seen Marie a little more clearly than her son had.
“Her dying words were to send it to me.” His voice cracked. “God, I’m going to miss them.”
“I know, Lucas,” Brianna murmured, laying her cheek against his shoulder and rubbing his back comfortingly. She stared down at the ring in his hand. If it were passed down through the oldest son it should have come down her line. With a sick feeling, Brianna wondered why she’d never seen it before.
CHAPTER 30
November 1860)
“You’re really going to ride him today?” Billy asked as he leaned against the fence.
Brianna finished tightening the cinch. “Sure am. Just as soon as the stage leaves. In the meantime, Oz will wear the saddle until he forgets it’s on his back.”
“I hope Seth comes in late today,” Billy said with a grin. “This is one ride I want to see.”
“And who do you think is going to win the bet?”
“Bet, what bet?”
“You don’t lie worth spit, Billy,” she said as she took the stirrup off the horn and let it fall into place over the cinch. “I know all about the bet Lucas has with Ian. So, who do you think is going to win?”
“Which one is right?”
Brianna’s eyes danced. “Ian, of course. Oz won’t even think of bucking.”
“Are you sure of that?”
“Absolutely.” She gave him a sidelong glance as she blew on her fingers to warm them before putting her gloves back on.
“You don’t lie worth spit either,” he said softly.
“All right, I’m not positive, but I do know he won’t buck me off. Put your money with Ian.”
“I already have.”
Brianna climbed over the fence, carefully avoiding the wire that ran along the top pole, and jumped down. “I don’t know, I think the wild stallion has forgotten all about us,” Brianna said, eyeing Lucas’s intricate system of defense as they headed toward the yard where Ian was untying Billy’s horse. “It’s been almost a month since they were here last.”
“Maybe we scared him bad enough last time he decided it wasn’t worth the danger.”
“Rider coming in!”
“Oh, blast,” Billy said. “Why did Seth have to be early this morning?”
“If anybody comes through in the next three days I’ll send word of how it went.”
“No matter who wins?”
She grinned as Billy took the reins and swung up into the saddle. “No matter who.”
Lucas wasn’t even listening to them. His full attention was focused on the rider coming in. “What’s that Seth is yelling?”
“Abraham Lincoln was elected president!” Seth called thundering into the yard.
“Abe Lincoln’s our next president?” Billy yelled as Seth passed him the mochila. A nod from the other rider and he was on his way to spread the news.
“Did you hear anything else, Seth?” Ian asked anxiously. “Like whether the South seceded?”
“No. Charlie just told me what I passed on to Billy.”
“If anybody can hold the Union together it’s Lincoln,” Lucas said. “He isn’t anti-South at all. Maybe he’ll convince them to stay.”
“Not if he doesn’t change his stand on slavery not moving west. He’s right, too. Nobody has the right to own another person,” Ian said hotly.
“Slavery is a dying institution, anyway.” Lucas began walking the horse back and forth to cool him down. “If we leave well enough alone it will crumble on its own.”
“Maybe so, but that’ll take years. I’m not willing to wait that long.”
“Will you fight for the Union, Ian?” Brianna asked quietly.
“If it comes to war, I will. I’ll do whatever I can for my country.”
“Suppose they asked you to fly a hot air balloon over enemy lines as a spy?”
He gave her a startled look. “A balloon?”
“Brianna likes balloons,” Seth said. “You’d better say yes if you don’t want to lose standing with her.”
Ian grinned. “In that case, I’ll suggest a balloon brigade myself if I ever get the chance.”
Will he be the one to pilot Dream Chaser over enemy lines? Brianna wondered. It’s easy to imagine him doing it. He’s always game for a new adventure.
When the stage came in forty minutes later, the passengers already knew the news. Seth had yelled it to the driver as he rode past.
Brianna had moved her concessions inside with the coming of the colder weather, and the passengers all clustered around the table in the cabin drinking coffee and discussing the possibilities. Like the men at the station, they were full of speculation about what effect Lincoln’s election would have. All had an opinion, many agreed it would mean war, but unlike Lucas, none seemed to have any real concept of what that would mean to the country.
To Brianna, the Civil War had always been a dull collection of names and dates that her history teachers droned on and on about every year between the Revolution and World War I. Suddenly, it was all too real. Seth and Ian were sure to fight for the Union, while Billy, with his Virginian origins, would probably join the South. Any of them might die. A
ll of them could. She didn’t even know when the stupid war was going to start. Maybe it already had.
Brianna was so lost in thought she hardly noticed when her customers left and the stage lumbered out of the yard.
Ian stuck his head in the door. “When’s the big show?”
“What?”
“When are you going to ride Oz?”
“Oh. Just as soon as I get this cleared away and get my clothes changed. About fifteen minutes, I think.”
The threat of war had driven all thought of her first ride on Oz from her mind. By the time she had cleaned up and changed clothes, some of her enthusiasm had returned. She’d spent weeks preparing for this.
It was always exciting to ride a horse for the first time, but this was going to be even better than usual. Ian, Seth, and Billy might pretend they were on her side, but they had no more confidence in her ability to ride that horse than Lucas did.
Brianna smiled confidently as she walked out of the cabin. She was going to set three nineteenth century males right on their chauvinist attitude. One in particular.
They were all gathered at the corral waiting for her. All three had big grins on their faces. She smiled back as she climbed into the corral and walked over to Oz. “Hello, sweetheart,” she said, rubbing his neck. “Shall we go for a ride today?”
He nuzzled her palm in greeting. Brianna untied the reins, put them on either side of his neck, and waited. Oz bumped her shoulder with his nose and nibbled at the braid hanging over her shoulder. It was now or never.
Brianna put her foot in the stirrup and swung up into the saddle with one smooth motion. Oz tossed his head and pranced a little, startled by the unfamiliar weight on his back. “It’s just me boy,” she said, patting his neck. “You’re all right.”
He settled at the sound of her familiar voice, though he was still clearly nervous. “All right, let’s take a little walk,” she said, nudging him slightly with the heels of her boots. With a snort he started forward. The trip around the corral wasn’t without its tense moments. Oz was clearly skittish and even shied at the gate as they went by it. What he didn’t do was buck, not even a little.
Brianna rode him around the corral several times then turned him and rode the other direction. After about twenty minutes she stopped in front of the men and smiled down at them.
“I hate to say I told you so, Lucas, but I did, you know.” With that she rode Oz to the opposite side of the corral, dismounted, and tied him to the fence.
“I never would have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. Here’s your money, Lucas.”
“Mine too.”
Brianna turned in astonishment. They were paying Lucas? “What’s going on?”
Lucas shrugged. “I’m collecting on my bet.”
“But Oz never bucked.”
“I didn’t expect him to.”
“You didn’t?”
“Congratulations, Brianna,” Ian said. “You did a fine job of breaking him. It won’t be long before you’ve turned him into a top-quality saddle horse.”
“Never seen one quite so tame the first time out,” Seth agreed. “You’ve got a real touch with horses.”
She watched in total bewilderment as the three men walked away. Lucas hadn’t expected Oz to buck? But then it didn’t really sound like the others had either. What was going on?
The conversation during lunch and supper centered on politics and the possibility of war. It wasn’t until Ian and Seth headed for the barn and Lucas settled down to smoke his pipe that he brought up the subject of her ride. “How long before you take Oz out of the corral?” he asked, tamping the tobacco into his pipe with his thumb.
“Not for a while yet. He has to learn the turns.”
Lucas gave a satisfied nod then stuck a splint into the fireplace and lit his pipe.
Brianna watched him draw contentedly for a moment. “How come you knew Oz wouldn’t buck today?”
“You have him so tame you could probably take a nap and use him for a shade tree.”
“But I thought you didn’t think my method of training would work.”
“I knew it would, I use it myself when I have time. I just didn’t think you’d be able to carry it out. You proved me wrong.”
“You bet he wouldn’t buck?”
“Nope.”
“No? But I saw you take money from both Ian and Seth.”
“Sure did, and I’ll get some from Billy too.”
Brianna had a sudden feeling she had missed something. “What exactly was the bet about?”
“That if you were successful you wouldn’t be able to resist rubbing my nose in it.” He took the pipe out of his mouth. “The others don’t know you as well as I do. “
She had a momentary flash of the conversation she’d overheard the night before. “You set me up!”
“Yep.” He grinned. “At least I guess that’s what you call it. It took me almost a week to get you to eavesdrop. After that I knew I couldn’t lose. Easiest money I’ve earned in a long time.”
“You rat! I’ll think of some way to get even. Just you wait.”
“You won’t get me so easily this time. I know better than to leave my clothes on the bank of the river.”
“We’ll see.”
The wild horses returned late that night just as the full moon rose in the East. This time the rifle shots didn’t seem to bother them much. They still milled around but showed no sign of leaving.
“Guess it’s time to try out my invention,” Lucas said, leaning his rifle against the side of the cabin. He squatted down next to the step and revved the crank on the generator he’d set there every night for the last month.
“Better hurry, Lucas,” Brianna said nervously as she shot her pistol in the air. “The horses in the corral are pushing against the fence pretty hard.”
“I have to get a charge built up...there, that should do it...all right...now!” He threw the switch. There was a spark then a bright flash and a loud boom as the electricity ignited the black powder at the other end.
The wild horses whinnied in fear and wheeled away from the unknown menace. The stallion’s cry rang out above the panicked herd and seemed to rally them.
“Damn. I guess I need to set one off in his face. Do you see him, Brianna?”
“No, but it sounds like he’s in the center somewhere.” She fired into the air again as another volley erupted from Ian and Seth.
“Good, that’s where the big one is.” Lucas picked up another set of wires. “See how you like this one, my friend,” he said, hooking them to the generator. But when he revved up the machine and threw the switch nothing happened. “The wire must have come unhooked,” he muttered. In the next breath he was on his feet running toward the flash pan.
Suddenly the stallion reared up above the herd less than a dozen yards from him.
“Lucas!” Brianna called in alarm as the stallion screamed defiantly at the intruder.
Brianna fired her pistol three times in rapid succession, but the stallion paid no heed. Neither did Lucas who was crouched on the ground trying to fix whatever was wrong with his invention. Her pistol clicked on an empty chamber just as the stallion headed for Lucas with bared teeth.
“LUCAS!” Brianna screamed. With no thought of the danger she was putting herself in, she grabbed Lucas’s rifle and ran toward him. If she could get to him in time...
Brianna had run less than halfway when the stallion reached Lucas and reared above him, the deadly hooves flashing in the moonlight. The horrifying tableau in front of her seemed to move in slow motion.
Belatedly, Lucas made a half turn and stared up at the menace above him. Finally realizing his danger, he turned back, covering his face with his arm just as the stallion started to come down.
“NO!” Brianna screamed. With one smooth motion she swung Lucas’s rifle to her shoulder and fired. The explosion sounded incredibly loud, and the unexpected recoil knocked her off balance causing her to stumble and fall. When she scrambled to h
er feet, the wild herd was surging past her in a solid wall of flying feet and horseflesh.
She ran parallel to the herd toward the fence terrified of what she’d find. It seemed to take forever, but in reality was less than a minute before she got to the corral, and another second to reach Lucas who was struggling to stand up.
“Lucas,” she cried rushing to him and helping him get to his feet. “You’re all right,” She said closing her eyes and hugging him tightly.
“My right arm hurts, but other than that I’m fine.” He put his left arm around her and pulled her close. “Here now, don’t cry. It’s all over.”
For the first time she realized her face was wet with tears. “Oh, Lucas, I was so scared.”
“Damn, Lucas, that was cutting it kind of close wasn’t it?” Ian said, coming up from the other side.
Seth let go with a low whistle of admiration. “Nice shot.”
“It was Brianna’s,” Lucas admitted, giving her a little squeeze. “Seems I underestimated her marksmanship.”
Brianna opened her eyes in surprise and stared down at the dead stallion that lay less than a yard from her feet. There was a single bullet hole slightly behind his eye. “I...I killed him?”
“He dropped like a pole axed steer.”
Brianna swallowed. “Oh,” she said in a small voice.
Lucas smiled down at her. “Is this going to become a habit with you?”
“What?”
“First it was the buffalo stampede and now this. Seems to me this is the second time you’ve saved my life.”
CHAPTER 31
(December 1860)
“Here use these.” Lucas handed Brianna a hand-made tool that looked a great deal like a pair of needle nosed pliers. “Now, just hold the wire tight while I twist it...”
“Like that?”
“Perfect.”
She tried to concentrate on holding the wire in place. In the month since the stallion had broken Lucas’s right arm, Brianna had become adept as a lab assistant, but it was difficult to pay attention with the wind whistling outside. With the cold winter weather, Lucas had abandoned the unheated lab, but today even the cabin felt chilly.
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