The Coming Storm

by Tracie Peterson

  “I don’t deserve such praise,” Dianne said. “I didn’t even care about the war except to hope that my brothers would stay out of it. I never gave slavery much of a thought at all, though I grieve that now. No man should be slave to another. No man has the right to own another man, yet I turned a blind eye like so many folks. It didn’t concern me—at least I didn’t think it did—so I ignored it. We had such a good life in Missouri; my father had his own business and the people of the town were good neighbors. Then the war came and all of that changed. We all changed.”

  “But you changed for the better.”

  “Maybe I just grew up—opened my eyes to the realities of the world.”

  “It’s a hard world to wake up to, that’s for sure,” Faith said. “Not everyone had a change of heart. Malachi and I still face people’s hatred.”

  “Well, you won’t here. Life here will be different. Malachi can earn his keep and do the job he loves. Folks here won’t care what color your skin is—Uncle Bram’s made sure of that. Because of Koko.”

  “And you don’t mind that your aunt is half Indian?”

  Dianne shook her head. “No. I don’t mind at all. Koko is the dearest and sweetest woman. Her love for people runs deep, no matter the color of their skin. I know she loves having you here as well. Uncle Bram has been planning to build a big house. Seems like he’s been planning it forever. But in truth, he wants it to be perfect. He wants it to honor Koko.”

  “Making provision for your family is important. That was why Malachi wanted to leave Virginia City all those years ago when I was expecting our first child. He didn’t want his baby born in a shack no better than what he’d lived in on the plantation.” Faith sighed. “Now he doesn’t have to worry about that.”

  They were back to the sorrow of Faith’s lost children, and Dianne had no idea what to say. She knew she couldn’t just snap her fingers and eliminate the woman’s grief, but for a moment she’d been confident that Faith’s sadness had lifted just a bit. Now they were steeped in it again.

  Dianne got to her feet, struggling for the right thing to say. “Faith, I know it’s hard right now, but God will ease your pain. You have to fight against it, though. You can’t just give in to it. Koko still needs help. We need you to help with the baby and with Jamie. I even need your help with the house so I can be freed up to help more with the livestock. We don’t have a full crew right now—winter is always the time when Uncle Bram lets men go. And some of the men are up north with the cattle.” She felt almost cruel for suggesting Faith stop grieving enough to be useful, but the words just poured out of Dianne’s mouth.

  “I need you, Faith. I can’t do this alone. Koko did the work of ten women, and with her sick, everything has suffered.”

  Faith drew a deep breath and stood. “You don’t have to do this alone,” she whispered.

  Dianne looked deep into the woman’s eyes and smiled. “Neither do you. Not so long as I’m around. Not so long as you remember that God will never leave you.”

  CHAPTER 4

  MARCH BURST ON THE SCENE WITH BLUSTERY COLD DAYS that reminded Dianne of January. After a week or so, however, the weather tempered and the air warmed with the promise of spring. By the last week of the month the snow melted and there were hints of green in the grass. Dianne generally refused to let herself get too excited about these early thaws. Back in Missouri the farmers were already planting and enjoying spring flowers and greening trees, but here in Montana, especially in the mountains, the weather was completely unpredictable. Dianne had even seen it snow in July. Of course it didn’t last, but it snowed nevertheless.

  March also meant that Cole would soon be home. Dianne hadn’t allowed herself to dwell too often on how much she missed him. Faith’s arrival and the new baby helped to keep Dianne’s thoughts occupied, but on days like this she couldn’t help but think of a lovely summer wedding and Cole by her side for the rest of their lives.

  Taking Pepper, the gray-and-white she’d worked with since he was a colt, to the top of the ridge, Dianne felt the exhilaration of a land about to be reborn. She shared the sentiment. Winters were hard and long, but there came a frantic release with each new spring. As if all creation in the Madison River valley recognized its potential all at once and knew it must act fast or lose its chance.

  Shifting in the saddle, Dianne imagined the ranch as it would be in another month. By then it would be nearly May. Cole had written her to say that he should be back to the ranch by July. Her heart quickened at the thought, and Dianne allowed her mind to wander for a time. She wondered what he would look like—how he’d changed. She knew she had changed—hopefully for the better. She’d lost most of her youthful chubbiness, and at twenty-two, she bore the mark of hard work in a slimmer, more muscled figure. Faith had told her she’d grown into a handsome woman, but Dianne only cared that Cole might think so.

  “I miss him so much, Lord. Some days are much harder than others,” she said, looking up. “When I think of all the time that has passed, I worry that he won’t feel the same. That he’ll change his mind and remain in Kansas.” She smiled and added, “Then I worry that he’ll come back a different man, that he won’t have resolved his differences and that he will have given up on you, Lord. That makes me worried that I’ll change my mind.”

  Shaking her head, she urged Pepper back down the path toward home. “I’m a silly woman, Father. I don’t mean to fuss and fret. I think that’s why I’ve tried not to even give it consideration. But it’s so hard.”

  Dianne took her time making her way home. She had plenty to think about, not the least of which was her longing for materials to make a wedding dress. Faith had brought up the idea of making plans for the big event just the other day, and up until then, Dianne had tried not to even think about the wedding for fear it might not come true.

  She didn’t know when she’d become so cynical about day- dreaming, but she’d been afraid of putting much store in her wedding. In the frontier it was difficult to plan. You never knew what problem or complication might arise. Dianne had been disappointed so many times when she’d plotted and planned for a specific event, only to have it fall apart on her because of the weather, sick animals, warring Indians, or some other interference. Uncle Bram said that in this land it was better to take one day at a time. It was okay to make your plans, but you couldn’t allow yourself to get caught up in them. Now Dianne carried that same mindset into preparations for her wedding. Several times Faith had asked her about the arrangements, and Dianne had to admit she’d made no plans.

  Truth be told, it was Faith who set Dianne’s mind to thinking about a wedding dress. Dianne imagined something simple yet lovely. She didn’t want to be married in her old everyday clothes. Koko and Faith had both promised to help her design and make a gown as soon as Dianne felt the time was right.

  “Well, maybe this is the day,” she mused, imagining yards and yards of soft material flowing gracefully from her slender frame. “Maybe working on the gown will keep my mind busy for a time—at least a couple of months. And after that, maybe he’ll be home. Maybe Cole will finally be here and my waiting will come to an end.”

  “Koko, I believe this baby is going to take after you,” Dianne declared, lifting Susannah. The baby yawned and looked up at Dianne as if to consider her words.

  “I think so too,” Faith agreed. “She sure has grown.”

  Koko smiled at the two women and went back to her leatherwork. “She’d never have made it without the two of you. I’ve never really had a chance to thank you properly.”

  “No need,” Dianne said, putting Susannah back down beside her mother. “That’s what family is for.”

  “And friends,” Faith threw in.

  “Faith is right. It’s the way Jesus tells us to be. To love our neighbor as ourselves. Living all cramped up here,” Dianne said with a smile, “it doesn’t get much more neighborly.”

  Koko laughed and so did Faith. “Bram says he’ll start the cabin for Faith an
d Malachi as soon as he can get the cattle back and settled. It won’t take long,” Koko declared. A new two-room cabin was Bram’s gift to the Montgomery family for all they’d done. Half of the structure was to provide housing, while the remaining half would be the new blacksmith shop.

  Dianne finished tidying the kitchen area. “I know. He told me about a shipment of housing materials coming up from Virginia City. He plans to start the new house this summer as well. He told me that if everything goes well, he’ll have the main structure built by fall. He even plans to have some of the rooms ready so we can move in before the first snows. Isn’t that exciting?” “I wish he wouldn’t worry about such things. He wants a nice big house for all of us, and I completely agree with that. But he wants so many nice things that we just don’t need. Lots of windows and special lamps built into the wall. I told him he didn’t need to fuss about such things, but he won’t listen.”

  Dianne smiled at her aunt. “He wants you happy. That’s all.”

  “But he knows me well enough to know that I am happy. This is all I could have wanted from life. I don’t need lamps built into the wall.”

  Dianne laughed. “I’m sure one day we’ll all come to appreciate Uncle Bram’s efforts and wonder how we could ever do without him.”

  Koko put down her needle, and her expression became quite serious. “I couldn’t do without him.”

  Dianne recognized the look of panic on Koko’s face. “You aren’t going to do without him, Koko. I didn’t mean to upset you . . . it was just a figure of speech.”

  “You don’t understand,” Koko said softly. “I’ve had this dream. It’s always the same. It’s always dark and frightening and Bram is wounded.” She shuddered.

  Dianne gently squeezed Koko’s shoulder. “It was just a bad dream. I sometimes have them about Cole, but I refuse to give them any credence. Both men are in God’s hands and we mustn’t fret.”

  Koko started to reply, but the sound of a horse approaching silenced all three women. Dianne went to the door and peered out. To her surprise, the rider was none other than her brother Zane.

  “What’s Zane doing here?” she questioned. “I thought the army was off on some big campaign to the east. Didn’t Morgan say something about that?”

  “He did,” Faith replied, “but maybe they returned early.”

  Dianne stepped out onto the porch as her brother dismounted. Koko went to tend to Susannah, who had just started crying.

  “You’re a sight, to be sure,” Dianne greeted. “Looks like you’ve been on the trail for a month of Sundays.”

  Zane met her expression and frowned. “Afternoon, Dianne. I’ve come to talk to Uncle Bram. Is he around?”

  Dianne’s enthusiasm faded. Zane’s tone suggested something was very wrong. “Are you all right?”

  “I just need to talk to Bram.”

  “He’s in the horse barn. Why don’t you go ahead and visit with him and I’ll prepare you a plate of food. You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

  Zane seemed hesitant, then nodded. “I’m starved.”

  Dianne smiled. “Then go have your talk and afterward wash up and come eat.” She wanted to say something more, but Zane made it clear he wasn’t interested in talking. As he led the horse away and headed to the barn, Dianne could only contemplate what might be wrong. Maybe the Indians were attacking nearby. Maybe some hideous disaster had struck the town of Bozeman.

  Dianne remained outside, watching her brother. There was something odd going on. He was disheveled and not up to the standards of a soldier. And while she’d never been very close to the twins or understood their way of thinking, it was clear that Zane was troubled. Perhaps life in the army was more difficult than he’d anticipated, or maybe he’d had some sort of ruckus with his commanding officer.

  “He’s not wearing his uniform!” Dianne exclaimed as the realization struck her. Had he resigned from the army? Something had happened, and she intended to know what it was.

  Following after Zane, Dianne eased in through the open side door of the barn.

  “I didn’t think we’d be seeing you anytime soon,” Bram declared in greeting.

  Dianne eased alongside the corner stall and listened for a moment. She didn’t think it proper to eavesdrop, but something told her to hold back—to wait.

  “I’ve deserted,” Zane said without further explanation.

  Dianne put her hand to her mouth to keep from gasping aloud. Deserted? Why in the world would he do that? Weren’t men shot for such things? Zane was such a man of honor, and since coming west, he’d wanted nothing but to join the army. Why would he desert?

  “Why don’t you tell me what happened,” Bram said softly. “It’s so awful—the worst thing I’ve ever seen or been a part of,” Zane began. “We were up on the Marias going after a group of Blackfoot who had murdered some whites nearby. Our major was adamant that we catch and kill these men. He cared nothing about bringing them back for a trial or hearing their side of it. That bothered me enough, but when we came upon the wrong group of Pikuni and Major Baker insisted we attack anyway . . . well . . .” His words trailed off.

  Dianne felt a deep sorrow for her brother. He sounded absolutely heartbroken. She knew he would never tolerate innocent lives being slain. No wonder he’d deserted.

  “It was Heavy Runner’s village,” Zane began again. “I feared maybe Takes Many Horses would be there, but most of the warriors were gone on the hunt.”

  “They came to visit us just before the baby was born in January,” Bram told him. “They were heading south, as the buffalo were scarce in these parts.”

  “Most of Heavy Runner’s band were old people, women, and children. Not only that, but they had smallpox. Baker still didn’t care. He turned the troops loose to kill and plunder. He wasn’t content just slaughtering innocent lives. He destroyed everything they had, then left more than a hundred people out in the snow in forty-below temperatures. Some weren’t even properly dressed—hardly any had buffalo robes to keep them warm.”

  “I’m sorry, Zane. I know that must have been hard.”

  “It wasn’t just that.”

  Dianne could hear the exasperation in her brother’s voice. She longed to go to him, to offer him comfort, but she remained frozen in place, desperate to hear every detail.

  The sound of something slamming against the wall caused Dianne to jump.

  “I’m sorry,” Zane apologized, “it’s just that even remembering it makes me so angry.”

  “It’s all right, son. You’re among family and friends here. You can take your time and just tell me what you need to.”

  “What I need, I can’t find. I need absolution for what I did— and for what I didn’t do.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “I didn’t try to stop them,” Zane said, his voice breaking. “I knew it was wrong. I even refused to shoot anyone. I headed women and children to the river for safety, but I didn’t try to stop the attack.”

  “What could you have done? You weren’t in charge.”

  “Maybe not, but I could have protested the attack. I could have confronted the major.”

  “And would he have listened?” Bram asked.

  “No . . . probably not. The man was mostly likely well into his cups. Several men said he was drinking before the attack.”

  “A drunkard is not easily reasoned with. Especially one who has no standard of justice.”

  “I don’t know what to do, Uncle Bram. I’ve been gone since that night. That was over two months ago. My conscience is eating me up. I feel like I should go back to the fort and face my punishment for desertion, but at the same time, I don’t wanna go.”

  “Have you prayed about this?”

  “Yes, sir. That’s why I’m compelled to go back. I gave my word to the army, and I know it’s only right that I turn myself in.”

  Dianne bit her lip as tears came to her eyes. Her brother sounded like such a broken man. She was thankful he’d come to their uncle for counse
l.

  “I just keep seeing their faces,” Zane said, picking up the memory again. “I see the women shielding their children and the bullets ripping through their flesh as though they were made of nothing more substantial than cobwebs. I can hear the children crying and the women screaming. It’s driving me mad.” He began to sob.

  Dianne wanted to run away. Her brother’s cries pierced her heart. How could anyone be so cruel as to wage war on children— defenseless children?

  “Son, things like this have been a part of human life since the beginning of time. Man is sinful and selfish. His motives are not always pure. Still, you couldn’t have stopped this from happening. You did the best you could.”

  “I don’t feel like I did my best. I know God must be disappointed in me. Can He forgive me, Uncle Bram? Can God forgive me for being part of such a hideous thing and then running away?”

  “Of course He can, but that doesn’t mean the memories will go away. It was no accident that you were present in that situation. I don’t believe things happen by chance. You were a witness to this atrocity for a reason. I’m not sure what that reason could be, but it’s important that you learn from this.”

  Dianne heard Zane sniffing and decided to slip away while the two men figured out what was to be done. She prayed all the way back to the house that God might ease Zane’s grief and give him peace.

  Faith didn’t question her when she came into the kitchen. For this, Dianne was grateful. She went to work immediately, putting away the canning jars she’d been tending to earlier in the day. When Zane and Bram came in nearly half an hour later, neither one seemed upset or out of sorts. Bram, in fact, was chuckling about some antic of Jamie’s, telling Zane how his son would make a first-rate horseman someday.