Dance on the Wind

by Brenda Jernigan

  “I didn’t know,” Brandy said, feeling a little better—not that his mother was sick—but now she knew the reason he’d left so quickly.

  When they reached the wagon, Billy looked at her. “You ready to meet your husband?”

  “I—I have to keep my bargain. But I must admit, I’ve a funny feeling like—”

  “Like what?”

  Brandy took a deep breath. “Like I’m getting ready to open Pandora’s box.”

  “Who’s she? And what about her box?”

  “You really don’t want to know the answer to those questions.” Brandy gave him a sorrowful smile. “Let’s just hope I’m wrong.”

  16

  About mid-morning, Ward came to the wagon to get Brandy. She mounted her horse and they rode to the fort.

  “Where are we going?” Brandy asked him.

  “We’re headed for that building over yonder.” He pointed. “It’s called the Old Bedlam.”

  It was a two-story, wooden building with porches stretching across the top and bottom. Painted a pristine white, it appeared very clean. “What is in that building,” she asked.

  “It’s where the officers and post headquarters are housed.” He pointed in another direction. “Over there is the Sutler’s Store.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A civilian licensed by the army to deal with ordinary citizens and Indians. This fort used to be a trading post, and there is still plenty of trading going on, so I reckon you could still call the store a trading post”

  “I see. Sounds like it would be a popular place,” she said as they pulled their horses to a stop at the front steps of the white building.

  “Very popular.”

  Several white buildings surrounded a rectangular parade field. A group of men marched by as Brandy and Ward dismounted and left their horses tied at a hitching post.

  When they opened the screen door a man in a blue uniform glanced up from his desk, but didn’t bother to stand. Finally, he asked. “May I help you, sir?” “We would like to speak with the colonel.”

  “And who may I say wants to see him?”

  “Ward Singer, the wagon master of the train just outside the post.”

  “Just a moment.” The young private got up and disappeared into a room to his left. A few minutes later he was back. “You may go in now,” he said as he gestured toward the door.

  Ward stood back and allowed Brandy to enter the room first.

  The man behind the desk rose. He was a big man and very overweight. His uniform stretched tight across his belly and his yellow sash had been loosened. He also smelled of liquor when he extended his hand to Ward. “Colonel Jeb Moonlight at your service. What can I do for you?”

  Ward grasped the man’s hand. “Ward Singer, wagon master, and,” Ward paused and placed his hand on Brandy’s arm in a protective gesture “This is Brandy Brown. She is here to meet—”

  “Sam Owens,” Brandy supplied the name. “Do you know him?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Moonlight said and gave her a peculiar look. “He has a place a few miles from the fort.”

  “Then will you provide an escort to take me and my family there?”

  “Yes, ma’am. But Sam isn’t there. He’s taken a little trip.”

  Brandy became alarmed. “And when will he be back?”

  “Tomorrow. He told me he was expecting something on the train. Of course, he didn’t say that something was you,” he said with a leer that turned Brandy’s stomach.

  “We’ll be pulling out early tomorrow, Colonel, so I’ll have Brandy leave her wagon where it is. She has been under my protection, and I turn her over to you until her intended comes for her.”

  “As it should be.” Moonlight pushed himself heavily to his feet, signaling that the meeting was over. “Anything else I can do for you?”

  “No.” Ward stood also. “Some of my travelers will be visiting the Sutler for supplies.”

  “We’ve got a fine one.”

  “Is there any Indian activity up ahead?”

  “Damned savages,” Moonlight spat “I think we should get rid of all of them, but it’s not my call. Make friends with them, comes the word from headquarters. But that’s an army issue. In answer to your question, the last two months have been quiet so your journey should be uneventful. Have heard of a couple of skirmishes near Denver.”

  When they reached the door the colonel nodded drunkenly, and Brandy realized he had been indulging heavily and it was still early. She would hate to be around him by the end of the day.

  “Good day, ma’am. I’m sure I will be seeing a lot of you ”

  “Thank you, Colonel,” she said, shrinking back from his sour whiskey breath, and wondered what he meant. She assumed that he and her future husband must be acquainted. However, Moonlight had looked at her as if she were a piece of merchandise, and she didn’t like the uneasy feeling she was beginning to get.

  Pandora’s box ... the thought ran through her head and she shivered.

  * * *

  Brandy spent the rest of the day helping Nettie and MacTavish straighten up their supplies and storing the new provisions that they had bought at the store.

  As much as Brandy’s heart ached at the prospect of losing these good friends, they made a promise that they wouldn’t say their goodbyes until tomorrow morning. Tonight they would have dinner and a story as usual.

  The weather had suddenly changed for the better. The oppressive heat they’d first experienced was gone. It was now mid-September and the days were pleasant and chilly, promising the first hint of winter. Brandy hadn’t thought about it until now, but soon it would be turning cold and they would need heavier clothing to keep them warm. When she said as much to Nettie, Nettie told her to wait a minute.

  Nettie came back carrying four quilts. “Here, I want you to have these so that you’ll remember us when you stay warm.”

  “I can’t take these. What will you use?”

  “I have plenty of them. Where we came from was plenty cold, so I was always making quilts. This way, I’ll still be taking care of you.” She smiled.

  Brandy hugged her. “Thank you. We will cherish them.”

  At dinner everyone seemed subdued until MacTavish started telling them a story of Scotland. As usual, he swept them away to another land they could only dream about.

  * * *

  Morning came much too soon for Brandy. It was a beautiful day. There wasn’t a cloud in the azure-blue sky, and the air was pleasant and dry with a slight, cool breeze.

  “Wagons Ho,” came the call from the front.

  “’Tis time for us to go,” MacTavish said. He gave Brandy a hug. “You take care of yourself, do you hear?” He looked at her then gave her another hug. “We’ll be writing to you to let you know where we are.”

  Brandy could do nothing but nod, because she couldn’t say anything. MacTavish left her to hug the other children, and Brandy held her arms out to Amy for a hug. “You be a good girl.”

  Amy wrapped her little arms around Brandy’s neck and kissed her on the cheek. Then she went looking for Scott.

  Nettie blinked back the tears as she embraced Brandy. “All of you will be in our hearts,” she whispered thickly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small wrapped bundle. “I want you to have something,” she said and pressed the cloth in Brandy’s hand.

  Brandy unwrapped the bundle and removed the cloth. A pearl-handled derringer lay in the palm of her hand. She gave Nettie a puzzled look.

  “A lady needs to protect herself. I have another just like it. Now promise me you’ll keep this in your pocket in case you’ll be needin’ it,” she said gruffly as she continued to fight her tears.

  Brandy gave her a shaky smile. “I promise,” she said, making no effort to disguise her own tears.

  “Good. And if my guess is right, you’ll be seeing Thunder again. Then you won’t need it,” she said with a wink.

  “I don’t want to say goodbye, but know I must,” Brandy wh
ispered, sobbing.

  “Come on, Nettie girl,” MacTavish said as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Even his eyes glistened a bit.

  They all waved farewell.

  When Brandy glanced at the children, everyone had tears in their eyes, and she wanted to say something to make them feel better, but she couldn’t find the words. She just gathered them to her, and held them tight.

  Ward rode back and dismounted. “You take care of yourself, Brandy. And when I’m passing through this way again, I’ll make sure I look you up.”

  “Thank you for all you’ve done for us, Ward. I will never forget you,” Brandy managed around a lump in her throat.

  Ward looked at the beautiful young woman in front of him. He really didn’t like leaving her alone out here, but he had little choice. He had a train full of wagons, and passengers depending on him. A good rule was never to get too close to the people he led across the country, but somehow in Brandy’s case, he’d broken his own rules. He wondered if Thunder's mother had not been sick would the man have left them alone so quickly. If so, he would have to be a damned fool.

  “I’ve got to go,” Ward said as he gathered his horse’s reins and mounted. “Billy, look after everyone. Goodbye.” Ward nudged his horse and cantered away. When he was a good distance from them, he halted and turned one last time. “Goodbye,” he called.

  Brandy wondered if he’d left so abruptly because he didn’t want them to see him cry. Then again, men didn’t cry—only women did.

  They all stood beside their wagon, watching him ride after the wagons. Brandy couldn’t help but think—now what?

  Everyone she cared about was gone.

  She was alone in an unfamiliar land, waiting for a strange man she knew she didn’t love.

  She wiped her face dry and swallowed her last tear. No, she wasn’t alone. She had the children.

  * * *

  The land Thunder rode across was golden in color. The tall, rich grass, kissed by the sun, brushed his knees as he rode toward home. He’d been riding for days.

  He’d thought he’d be very excited to be nearing his home, and he was in a way. He was eager to see his mother. He hoped she wasn’t as sick as Little Big Bear had hinted, and fear that he might not reach her in time spurred him on.

  But he couldn’t quit thinking of Brandy. He’d see a sunset and he’d remember her hair, her eyes. Her stubborn chin.

  And the children had come to mean something to him as well. He hadn’t wanted them, either, but somehow they had crept into his affection. How many times had he taken Scott for a ride and marveled at his giggles and never-ending questions? Billy had become a man during the trip, pitching in to help wherever he was needed. Thunder smiled with satisfaction, knowing that Billy could drive a wagon better than anyone could. Mary had definitely changed and become bearable. Ellen had learned to trust.

  Then there was Brandy. Always Brandy.

  He hoped her memory would fade from his mind before long, because she would soon be another man’s wife. And that ate at his insides like an all-consuming disease.

  * * *

  Sam Owens rode toward the wagon. He’d expected the wagon train a couple of weeks earlier, so he was glad Brandy was finally here. His business could use some fresh blood, and it was good to know his ad could still draw women. He smiled slyly. Maybe today was going to be a good day.

  Once Sam reached the wagon, he dismounted and tied his horse off. A little boy came running up to him.

  “Who are you?” the kid asked.

  “My name is Sam Owens. I’m looking for Brandy Brown,” he told the little boy, wondering who he belonged to.

  “I’m Brandy,” a voice came from behind the wagon, and a lady came walking toward him with the prettiest hair he’d ever seen. As a matter of fact, she was beautiful. Much more so than what he’d expected.

  “It is nice to finally meet you, Brandy,” Sam said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you first arrived.” He couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. Yessiree, today was his lucky day. “Have you been here long?” he asked, forcing politeness to cover his eagerness.

  “We’ve been waiting here a day,” she replied.

  “We?” Sam questioned

  “The children and I,” she said with a sweeping hand.

  “Children?” He glanced sideways in surprise as three kids came from around the wagon. “These are your children?” he asked again but didn’t wait for her to answer. “Nothing was mentioned in the letter you sent me about children, or that you’d been married before.”

  Brandy swallowed hard. A sensation of sickness and desolation swept over her. She looked at Sam for a moment before she answered. He was tall and broad-shouldered; his hair was sandy brown and his eyes a light-colored brown, but they held little warmth. He was a nice-looking man, but she really didn’t feel anything toward him. Of course, she’d just met him, and she couldn’t expect much. But the day of reckoning had arrived.

  His mouth was tight and grim. “You’ve not answered my question.”

  By now, all the children had gathered behind her. “These are my brothers and sisters. I have promised to take care of them.”

  Sam came closer, looking down at her intensely. “That wasn’t the deal.”

  “I know. But I’ve promised I would take care of them. They have no one else.”

  Sam backed away from her and ran his hand through his hair. “That is four more mouths to feed. The deal is for you only. You can leave them at the fort. There’s always somebody who’ll need extra hands.”

  Brandy stiffened. “Then we don’t have a deal. I will not leave the children. They are my family.”

  Sam took a menacing step toward Brandy and grabbed her arm. “I spent a lot of money for you, honey. You owe me. I want my money back.”

  “Get your hands off my sister,” Billy said, propping a rifle across his arm.

  Immediately, Sam let go of Brandy.

  “I don’t have your money. I spent it to get out here.”

  “Well you’re not getting off without paying your debt. I brought you out here to work. I can have you thrown in jail. Or better yet, I could still put you to work at my hog ranch.”

  “I—I thought you brought me out here to marry.” She hesitated, blinking with bafflement. “I don’t understand. A hog ranch?”

  “I see you don’t know what that is.” Sam laughed. “It’s a place where men pay for the company of the women I house.”

  Mary gasped.

  “As a matter of fact, I could use all three of you girls for work. They’d pay a pretty price for the young one.”

  Brandy slapped his face. “Don’t you dare think of involving my sisters in such . . . such . . .” It was too terrible to put into words.

  “You owe me, honey. Even if I really wanted a wife, I wouldn’t consider one with baggage.” He pointed to the children. “And one way or the other I intend to collect.”

  “That may be true, but your ad also asked for a wife, so I don’t believe that you were entirely honest, either.” Brandy couldn’t believe the mess she’d gotten herself into. The whole time she thought she was coming to meet a decent man, only to find a snake. Well, he wasn’t going to get away with this.

  “I’m going to see the colonel,” Brandy said.

  “That’s a good idea. We will both go,” Sam said as they walked down the hill to the fort.

  Once they were in Colonel Moonlight’s office, Brandy explained what had happened.

  “You did accept money from Sam?” Moonlight asked.

  “Yes. But his ad said marriage,” Brandy explained.

  “She owes me a great deal of money, and I expect payment, Colonel,” Sam demanded.

  “I’ve known you a long time, Sam. You run a pretty decent place that helps my men out with their needs. When I met Miss Brown, I figured she was fresh blood for your place, but she has children with her and a wagon master who will be checking back in on her, so you can’t force her into the house. However, she
does owe you a great deal of money that will have to be paid. Or you could marry her.”

  Sam came to his feet. “Marriage is out of the question. I run a business. I need her working.”

  “We can all work to pay off our debts, but not with our bodies,” Brandy told them.

  Sam glared at her. “You’ll have to work a long time to pay what you owe me.” He rubbed the back of his neck. This wasn’t going the way he planned. Here was a beautiful woman who could make him a bundle. But those damn brothers and sisters presented a problem. However, once she was at his place, he could always bend her to his will, so maybe he should be agreeable at first. “Maybe having a few extra hands around the place wouldn’t be bad. I have cows and chickens that need tending. Cooking for the girls that live there. And they don’t clean house, either.”

  “We are perfectly capable of doing odd jobs,” Brandy informed him.

  “Good. It’s decided,” the colonel said and walked them to the door. “I’ll be out to see you shortly, Sam. Tell Molly I said hello.”

  When they were walking back to the wagon, Sam said, “You’ll have to live in that wagon, which you can park next to the barn. I’ll not provide you with anything more including food until your debt is paid off.”

  Brandy nodded as they reached the wagon.

  Then he leaned closer to Brandy. “And if you don’t live up to your end of the deal,” he said just low enough for her to hear, “then I’ll put your young, firm body to work until all the debt is paid.” He ran a finger under her chin, and Brandy shuddered with revulsion.

  Pandora’s box had just been opened.

  She slapped his hand away. “We will follow you to your home.”

  Once they had hitched the horses and were on their way with Sam riding ahead of them, Billy said, “Thanks for taking up for us.”

  “Yeah,” Mary and Ellen said from the back of the wagon.

  Brandy, who was sitting beside Billy, said, “We’re a family. It’s taken me a while to learn that, but we stick together no matter what.” Now that she’d learned what Sam’s true intentions were, she almost wished she could leave the children at the fort so they wouldn’t be around such goings-on, but she wasn’t sure she trusted the colonel any more than she did Sam.