The Travels of Titus

by Danni Roan

  “I’ll try,” he agreed giving in to her plea. “Your pa reminded me of some things and I’ll try.”

  Sarah Jane smiled up at him. “That’s all any of us can do in the end,” she said.

  Something warm and soft seemed to well up in Titus as he gazed into Sarah Jane’s face. He didn’t know what it was, but there was something about this girl that got to him

  Sarah Jane Bentley wasn’t one of these simpering girls whose world revolved around pretty dresses, or fancy parties.

  She was different: thoughtful, friendly, and witty. Even now he could see a flicker of humor dancing in her eyes and felt the urge to brush his thumb against her cheek.

  “Do you want to know who’s carrying the message for you?” she asked a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

  “Who?” Titus asked tucking his hand in his pocket to keep it from betraying him.

  “Laughing Dog, he’s the one I pointed out to you the other day.”

  “You don’t think he’ll be in any real danger do you?” Titus asked thinking of the young squaw who Sarah Jane was convinced was in love with the brave.”

  “It won’t be easy, but these men have done this trip before. They’re very skilled at surviving off of the land.”

  “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to him on my account.”

  Sarah Jane smiled again. “I think he’s doing it to impress Morning Star.”

  “You mean the girl?” Titus asked seeing her point.

  Sarah Jane nodded, giggling at the thought. “I think it’s sweet, but of course he doesn’t need to impress her at all.”

  “I suppose every man wants to impress the woman he’s drawn to.”

  “I suppose, but as long as they don’t get silly and do something stupid.”

  “Like fall of a mountain,” Titus laughed.

  “That probably wouldn’t be very impressive, no,” Sarah Jane said her eyes shining with mirth as she watched Titus ears go red.

  “Tell Pa not to forget to come in for lunch,” Sarah Jane finally said turning to leave. “Sometimes when he gets busy with something he forgets.”

  Titus watched Sarah Jane walk away, the black and white intricately patterned shawl cocooning her.

  Shaking his head, he tried to convince himself that it wasn’t true, but in just a matter of days that woman was getting to him.

  His eyes followed her along the dusty path toward a pinto pony standing next to a rail corral and a moment later he saw her speaking with the brave she’d said was Laughing Dog.

  Scratching his ear he wondered what she could be talking to him about. Was she perhaps asking him to convey a message to her family further north?

  As Laughing Dog swung up onto his pinto Sarah Jane turned her eyes toward Titus, and he hurriedly returned to his task, even as he watched the young Indian woman’s eyes follow the brave out of the tiny village.

  Hurrying to finish his task Titus pulled the double tree apart, lifted it to his shoulder and headed for the wood shop.

  Chapter 24

  SARAH JANE GESTURED to Laughing Dog that she wanted to speak with him and he kneed his pony toward her.

  It was obvious that he was leaving, heading for Shady more that forty miles away.

  “I want you to buy me some ribbons.” She said to the young man whose dark eyes studied her curiously.

  Sarah had become friends with many of the Indians who called the mission their home. She enjoyed learning about them and their way of life.

  “You do not need ribbons,” Laughing Dog said seriously.

  “No but I won’t have a chance to get anymore for a long time.” She handed him a few pennies. “Anything left over is for you,” she said. “Just get me two yellow ribbons.”

  Laughing Dog raised an eyebrow but nodded, slipping the pennies into a hidden pocket in his heavy woolen shirt.

  “I will see you in three days,” he said, casting a glance behind him at Morning Star, the young woman who was now studiously wringing out garments, to hang on a line.

  Sarah Jane smiled. Would the man ever get around to letting the wash woman know how he felt about her?

  “Be safe,” she said looking up at Laughing Dog again. “I know we all want to see you back here soon.”

  The brave nodded once more then kicked his mount into a trot, quickly disappearing around the church building as he followed the trail toward town.

  Sarah Jane stood for moment thinking. She’d seen Titus looking at her while she talked to the young brave.

  She’d wanted to smile at him, to help him remember they were friends, but he had turned away without even a smile.

  It was obvious that Titus was trying to work through his thoughts and feelings, but she was beginning to understand her own all too well.

  From the moment her father and brothers had brought Titus into their home, she’d felt a connection to him. She couldn’t quiet place it, but it was there always drawing her toward him.

  At first she had believed it was fear for his recovery. He’d been unconscious so long she feared that he might never revive, but then he’d awoken and the connect seemed to shift, change into something new.

  After Sarah Jane’s mother had fixed the young man’s shoulder and tended his wounds she had instructed Sarah Jane to sit with him, watching for delirium or signs of fever.

  Sarah Jane had sat by Titus’s bed side for hours studying his face; learning every line and nuance.

  She’d memorized the way he looked, the way his lashes rested on his cheeks when he slept or the way his hair fell over his forehead in a dark wing.

  Perhaps it wasn’t love that she felt for Titus -whose name had been lost to him- but there was something deep and meaningful growing, even if he couldn’t see it yet.

  Shaking her head to clear her thoughts Sarah Jane began to make her way back home, a secret smile painting her lips.

  Perhaps in time Titus would understand that even without a name, he was a man that someone could care for. She chuckled softly, just like she hoped in time Laughing Dog would be bold enough to give Morning Star a gift that came from the heart.

  Pulling her shawl tight around her shoulders, she turned her face toward the sun dreaming of warmer days and a new home in Biders Clump.

  Moving hadn’t been something that she had wanted to do when her father told her that he was selling up and moving to the town his brother called home.

  She’d had friends back home, and a place that was familiar, comfortable.

  Now she couldn’t imagine not having gone. Even with the troubles they’d had on the trail, she’d seen such wonderful things and met such amazing people.

  The mission, a haven in a storm for so many was like stepping out of the real world into something unearthly.

  Isolated and quiet the little valley had been exactly what her family had needed. They’d found safety, and she had learned so much about the native peoples of the country.

  Sarah Jane tugged at her shawl once more. She’d fallen in love with the simple black and white pattern the moment she’d laid eye on it. Not only was it practical, it was beautiful.

  “Sarah Jane is that you?” her mother’s voice carried from the kitchen into the main room and Sarah smiled.

  “Yes mother,” she replied, hanging her shawl on a peg and heading for the kitchen. Even the simple act of cooking in a house instead over an open fire had been a joy to her.

  “Where have you been?” her mother asked. “I’m making a venison roast and wanted some vegetables.”

  “I’ll fetch them now,” Sarah Jane said. “I went out to speak with Mr. Titus and catch Laughing Dog before he left.”

  “Oh is that who’s going to Shady?”

  “Yes, he just left.”

  “What did you want to see him for?” her mother asked.

  “I wanted to have him pick me up two yellow ribbons.”

  Molly Bentley turned to study her daughter. “Sarah Jane, yellow is a terrible color on you, and you know it.”
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br />   “I do,” Sarah Jane replied simply, smiling as she stepped back outside and headed for the straw-pile where the root vegetables were stored for the winter.

  “Sarah Jane Bentley, you’re up to something as sure as I’m standing here,” Molly Bentley said shaking the knife in her hand as her daughter stepped back into the kitchen.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about mother,” Sarah Jane said hiding her smile.

  Molly shook her head. “You can pretend all you want, but I can tell,” she said. “I’m just glad you’re such a kind hearted young woman, or I’d be worried.”

  “Mama, you know I wouldn’t want to worry you. The boys do that well enough on their own.”

  Molly smiled shaking her head as she finished chopping the onion she’d been working on and tossing it into the pan making it sizzle and pop. “Those boys will give me gray hair for sure.”

  Sarah Jane laughed, “Mama you already have gray hairs.”

  “Yes, but the way the twins get themselves into trouble three times a day I’ll be stark white by the time we get to Biders Clump.”

  “Where are they now?” Sarah Jane asked, “I thought they needed to do their studies.”

  “I decided that since Father John can stand them, and since they’re already learning something from him that we’ll skip the other lessons today.”

  “In other words you were happy to have a day of peace.”

  “Exactly,” Molly said with a laugh.

  Sarah Jane washed then peeled the vegetables for her mother dropping them into the pan with the roast that was being browned on all sides.

  “Give me the salt,” Molly called and Sarah hurried to hand the salt cellar to her, “and how is Mr. Titus today by the way.” She finished studying her daughter’s reaction with care.

  “He seems troubled,” Sarah Jane replied honestly. “I think he worries too much about where he came from. Whatever he was in his past, he’s shown himself to be an honorable and decent man now.”

  “That’s true,” Molly said, “but it must be trying to not know where you came from, who your people are, or what you’ve done.”

  Sarah Jane was quiet for so long that her mother turned to look at her a knowing gleam in her eye.

  “I think...” Sarah Jane began, “I think that if it were me, I’d want to know about my past, but I wouldn’t give up living over it. You have to live today where you are.”

  Molly smiled. “That makes sense in your head, but what’s in your heart isn’t so easy.”

  “You mean wondering if you’d left a family who needed you or something like that?”

  “Yes, how would you feel if you were like Titus and then one day you found out you had your pa and me and the boys waiting and worrying over you?”

  “So you think that Titus will never really know peace until he’s found out who he was?”

  “He might be able to move on better with his life if he does that yes.”

  Sarah Jane nodded thinking over what her mother had said and wondering what she could do to help the young man find his past.

  Traveling to your future with knowledge of who you are would be easier, but she didn’t even know where to start. She only knew that something was telling her that she needed Titus in her future.

  Chapter 25

  “BOYS, PUT THOSE POTATOES in your mouth or on your plate, but I’d better not see you slinging them at each other.” Molly Bentley said that evening as the family, including Titus, sat at supper.

  “We weren’t doing anything Ma, honest,” Calvin said, looking at her with innocent eyes.

  “Then why did you have the fork slung back with your finger on it like a slingshot?” their mother asked.

  Both boys turned quickly to their plates, shoving the afore mentioned potatoes into their mouths and chewing vigorously.

  “Another fine meal Molly,” Bill said. “You do work wonders with a bit of venison.”

  “Thank you for another delicious meal,” Titus echoed.

  “Oh, it’s just food,” Molly insisted a happy smile on her face. “My ma always said the problem with venison is folks don’t use any fat in the cooking. You’ve got to have a bit of fat.”

  “Well whatever you did, I sure enjoyed it.” Bill said.

  “I think you’ll enjoy what comes next even more,” Molly said, still smiling at the complement. “Sarah Jane made us an apple crisp.”

  “Apple, where’d you get apples?” Bill asked sitting up straighter, his eyes bright.

  “They’re some of the dried apples we had Pa,” Sarah Jane said. “I even traded with some of the village boys for some berries to sprinkle in.”

  “Melvin, Calvin, you clean your plates, so we can have pie.” Bill said turning to look at his boys who were now holding spoons full of carrots balanced between thumb and fore finger.

  “Yes sir,” the boys replied together quickly finishing their meal.

  “Now you can clear the plates as well,” Bill added, making the boys scowl as they climbed from their chairs collecting plates.

  “You’ll be pleased to know that Titus and I have the wagon almost back together,” Mr. Bentley spoke as Molly carried the coffee pot in. “Another day or two like that, and it will be ready for the road come spring.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Molly said. “I’m looking forward to seeing Bob and Hazel.”

  “What will you be doing once you get to Biders Clump,” Titus asked, shaking his head. He never could quite get his head around the crazy name of the town.

  “Well my brother owns the general store there.” Bill said watching the boys carry as many dishes as they could hold all at once to the kitchen. “We’ll help out there as best we can, but we also want to do some farming.”

  “I’m hoping to raise chickens of my own again,” Molly said, “and maybe have a cow or two.”

  “Ma makes cheese,” Sarah Jane said, carrying the pie in and placing it on the table. “If all goes well, she might start selling it at the store.”

  “Well that’s one thing, but I’m sure most people make their own.” Molly said handing out slices of pie as quickly as Sarah Jane cut them.

  “Not like yours Molly, and I hear that the town there is growing, so you might have people coming and going who would buy it for travel stock.”

  “You could make soap as well Ma,” Sarah Jane said. “You know so many plants to make it smell good that surely some of the ladies at Biders Clump would want to buy it.”

  “It sounds like you have many talents to offer the town,” Titus said smiling as he bit into his first forkful of apple crisp smiling as the flavors of cinnamon and cloves exploded in his mouth.

  “Sarah Jane, after we finish dessert, would you and Titus carry a jar of jam down to Mama Peaks,” Molly said. “I promised her that I’d send it to her since she sent me that basket of elderberries.”

  “She’ll like that,” Sarah Jane agreed. “She loves anything sweet. Perhaps I should take her a piece of crisp.”

  “But what if we want more pie!” the twins gasped.

  “I’ll leave the last piece for your bedtime snack,” Sarah Jane smiled. “Now you help mama with the dishes.”

  The boys sagged in their seats but nodded.

  Titus watched the interplay between Sarah Jane and her brothers, and something seemed to ping in his heart.

  “You about ready?” he asked softly, noticing that Sarah Jane had finished her dessert and coffee.

  “I’ll just put this in a basket,” the young woman said carrying her plate into the kitchen and returning a moment later with a small woven basket.

  Standing by the door Titus reached out and pulled her wrap down from a peg and draped it around her shoulders.

  “Thank you,” Sarah Jane said, her brown eyes meeting his and connecting in a way he couldn’t understand; a way that seemed to stir something in his heart.

  As much as he appreciated his time with Jed and even his travels with Bailey, neither companion could offer a sens
e of family.

  “You’re quite.” Sarah Jane mused as they walked along together toward the Indian village. A cold breeze was kicking up dust, and she pulled the shawl tight, juggling the basket as she tried to ward off the cold.

  “Let me take that for you,” Titus said, feeling like a heel for not thinking to take the basket earlier.

  “Thank you,” Sarah Jane said, handing him the basket and wrapping the heavy woven cloak tighter around her shoulders.

  “I was just thinking about family,” Titus said as they made their way toward the village.

  The sun was still out and a golden glow covered the surrounding hills in a rose hue.

  Along the far hill behind the church several tee-pees stood nestled beneath trees, their pale buffalo hide walls reflecting the evening sun as their hand painted designs seem to come alive in the quickly falling shadows.

  Somewhere a dog barked, and the howl of a coyote echoed back yipping above the crackle of cook fires and the chatter of woman and children.

  “Sar-a.” an old woman, her gray braids dangling toward the earth past her stooped shoulders grinned.

  “Hello Mama Peaks,” Sarah said stepping into the encampment. “I’ve brought you some of mother’s jam and a treat.”

  The old women turned dark eyes on Titus and grinned toothlessly as she beckoned them forward.

  Over a small wood fire two young women were frying bread and the old woman spoke to them in her native tongue.

  A moment later she held out a piece of the still steaming bread and Sarah Jane laughed opening the jar and pouring a little onto the flat dough.

  The old woman gnawed off a piece and hummed in delight.

  “You good,” Mama Peaks said, turning her head upward to look at Sarah Jane and Titus. She was so stooped you would think she’d need a cane but her feet were sure and steady as she moved to a log and took a seat waving them to join her.

  Titus offered Sarah Jane his arm for support over the rough ground, helping her take a seat beside the old woman then sitting himself.

  “You go with him?” Mama Peaks asked pointing at Titus.