Laura's Secrets

by Augusta Wright

  Your Husband, Abner Brown

  Laura’s emotions ran the scale from hot anger to frozen fear. Glowing hatred began to rise and consume her as she grasped the position Abner had placed her in. The first year here, he had done little to make their life easier. The next spring, he went back to roaming and panning for gold. He found a tiny bit of gold dust in the streams, never enough to meet their needs, but enough to keep him looking. She had begged him to forgo panning for gold and help her with the garden and the tasks she could not do. She’d needed his help to prepare for the winters. However, he would stare at her as if she was stupid and walk off, carrying his shovel and pan to work in the streams all day. She toiled from morning till night to accomplish as many chores as she could. Yet, when he came home, he expected food on the table and her in his bed. And, if she did not have things ready for him, she paid for it.

  Laura’s deep resentment toward him turned into pure hatred. She felt it growing, becoming overwhelming as she considered all the hurt, abuse, and loneliness she had endured. Jumping out of her chair, she began to pace the room, fighting the desire to go dig him up and…and…What? Cut off his…his…man part? Why? It was useless now anyway. Stab him…shoot him…cut off his head? She didn’t know. She wanted to hurt him. She wanted to get even. Then she burst out with laughter at her silly self. How can you hurt a dead man?

  She continued to pace. “I never thought I would be free of him. I need to control my anger and figure out how I can survive and keep my home.” The realization hit her hard. “I have worked too hard on this land to lose it now, even though I am completely alone without family or friends and no money. The possibility of losing her home paralyzed her and she could not move in any direction. What am I to do?

  The sudden howl of a wolf close to the cabin startled her into action. Hurrying to the door, she opened it and walked out onto the porch. Silver waited nearby for her. She sat down on the step and held her hand out in friendship. She had never touched him before because he always kept distance between them. But now… Silver advanced slowly toward her until he could lick her hand. His adoring blue eyes shone back at her as she stroked his silver fur.

  “You wanted to remind me I am not alone, didn’t you? Can you read my thoughts? You seem to always be near when I need you. Thank you for being my friend. I certainly need one now.”

  They sat for some time, together, silently enjoying each other’s company. Soon Silver stood up, licked Laura across the cheek in silent farewell, and trotted back into the forest.

  Amazed at how a simple act like that could erase her fears and give her encouragement to go forward to meet her future, she went back inside. Picking up the leather bag containing a small amount of gold dust, she was thankful she had thought to remove it from his pocket before she’d buried him. What a misery it would have been to dig him up for this. Taking the bag and his gold watch to the pie safe in the kitchen, she placed them in a small cotton bag and pushed it into the flour bin for safekeeping.

  It was too late in the day to go to Everclear. And she was not ready to face Tuffy Sawyer. When she did go, she planned to tell everyone Abner was ill with pneumonia. He was better, but not strong enough for the long trip, so he’d sent her in for supplies. She prayed she could get by with the story. If Tuffy learned he’d died, he’d take the ranch in payment for the debt without giving her a chance to find a solution.

  After a good night’s sleep, Laura was ready to put her plan into action, and she would need to hitch the team of horses to the wagon to be able to bring back the supplies. Why had she never learned from Abner how to do it? Well, with Willow’s help, she’d learned to snare rabbits and hunt and butcher deer—surely this couldn’t be harder than that. She walked down to the barn to get the harness and reins for one horse. She would practice on her gentlest mare.

  After two hours, Laura and the horse were both frustrated, the patient mare fretful and tossing her head. Wiping tears from her eyes, she put the mare back in the stall and replaced the harness on its pegs and noticed the cradle of the packsaddle.

  She would make faster time on horseback, and with her limited resources, she couldn’t afford more supplies than a packhorse could carry anyway. She fed both horses and added extra hay. It was once again too late to start out for town, but at least she had a plan.

  She went back to the cabin feeling more in control of her situation. The next day, she would take her list and go to the trading post to deal with Tuffy Sawyer.

  Leaving before daylight the next morning, she gently nudged Beauty, her mare, down into the river valley, the packhorse following close behind. Loosening the reins to allow the horse to choose the safest path across the bridge in the darkness, she hung on. When they arrived on the other side, Laura patted the horse’s neck, thanking her for taking care of them. Beauty whinnied.

  Hours later, she stopped to water the horses in the flowing creek about half a mile from Everclear. She ate a biscuit from the small bag she’d packed before she left. Too nervous to eat more, she washed it down with icy water from the rippling stream. Refreshed, she remounted and straightened her skirt over the long johns she wore for warmth. She checked her pistol, making sure it was primed and ready, then slipped it back into her coat pocket, comforted with the knowledge it was there and loaded. Would she shoot anyone to protect herself? Hell, yes!

  Arriving in town, she tied the horses to the hitching post and walked up the steps of the massive trading post. Pulling the door open, she was overwhelmed by the disgusting smells flying out at her. The odor of unwashed bodies, vomit from too much rot-gut whiskey, and the stench of fresh fur pelts all contained in a building heated by a large, smoky woodstove.

  Laura’s first response was to heave, but she recovered and stepped inside. She was sure it had never been aired or cleaned. Several large, hairy trappers dressed in fringed buckskins leaned on the bar with their backs to her, talking and laughing loudly. She slipped into the area of the trading post containing canned goods and other merchandise. Pulling her list from her pocket, she began to pick out the items she needed most.

  Chapter Two

  Laura’s hand paused in midair as she sensed the evilness invading the trading post. Turning toward the bar, she saw Tuffy Sawyer hiking up his dirty, grease-stained pants. Bales of furs hid her from his view for the moment, but she knew he would spot her before long. A hush descended on the trading post when Laura saw a large, dark-skinned man, dressed in a striped capote reaching to his knee-high moccasins, walk through the outside double doors and to the end of the bar. If she had been nearer to him, he would have towered over her. His faded grey hat with an eagle’s feather sewn to the crown was pulled down over long, coarse black hair. His very presence and the intent ebony glare warned everyone to steer clear.

  In his right-gloved hand, he carried a long rifle; tucked into the belt at his waist were two long barreled pistols, a large skinning knife, various small bead-decorated leather bags containing lead shot, and a gunpowder horn. Her hackles rose at the dangerous power of this man’s presence. The others moved farther down the bar, away from him. He leaned the rifle against the bar and motioned for the whiskey bottle, pouring himself a drink. A match flared when he lit a long, black cigar. The smoke circled his head, creating a mystical halo. Laura stared at the stranger in fascination and a foreboding sense of things to come.

  Tuffy Sawyer approached the giant and remarked in a loud voice, “I hope you can pay for that drink, friend.”

  The silence was deafening. The stranger sniffed the whiskey before setting his glass down on the bar and spoke in a low tone, “I wouldn’t have poured it, if I could not pay for it. And I am not your friend.”

  Tuffy’s face turned red. “Didn’t mean anything, mister. Have another drink.”

  The large dark man pushed the whiskey-filled glass toward him. “I want the good stuff, not this watered-down horse pee.”

  Tuffy replied, “Sure, mister,” as he reached under the bar and poured from a differen
t bottle.

  When he turned to set the bottle on the mirrored back bar, a hardened voice said, “Leave it! And leave me alone.”

  “That bottle of bourbon is expensive. Can you pay for it?”

  “I told you before, I wouldn’t have ordered it if I could not pay.”

  Tuffy’s eyes narrowed when he noticed Laura for the first time. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mrs. High and Mighty. Where is Mr. Brown, your majesty?” He flashed her a lascivious grin.

  “He hasn’t been well, so he sent me here to get supplies.”

  Tuffy approached a man standing near the door and murmured to him. The man turned and left. Tuffy returned to her, grinning.

  “What can I do for you today, Mrs. Brown?”

  “I have a list.” She held it toward him in a shaking hand.

  “Well, let’s see what you can afford.” He walked to the grocery counter, pulled a ledger book from under it, and flipped it open. Running a finger down the page, he said, “It seems, Mrs. Brown, you don’t get any more credit until you pay up or you will lose your land.”

  “Abner found some gold dust, but I don’t know how much it’s worth.” She handed the leather bag to Tuffy.

  He poured the small amount of gold dust onto the scale. “Aha,” Tuffy declared as he looked at her. “You will have to do better. How about a visit to the back room, and you and me can have us some fun?”

  Glaring at him, she pulled Abner’s gold watch out of her handbag. “How much will you give me for this?”

  Grinning at her, he took the watch. “I’ll give you five-dollars credit for it. If you will come to the back with me for the afternoon, it will pay for the rest of your bill and the new supplies, too.”

  Laura’s stomach churned. “Do you treat your trappers and mountain men to an afternoon with you in the back, if they can’t pay?”

  Several more men had entered the trading post during their exchange. The onlookers guffawed loudly at Laura’s comment. Tuffy’s face reddened.

  “Give me back my watch and gold dust. I’m leaving,” she demanded.

  “I will not. I’ll apply the gold dust and this watch as well as your two horses, which I have had my stable master store in our corral, to your unpaid account,” he told her.

  Laura stared at him as his words sank in. “What do you mean, my horses? I can’t get home without them.”

  “If you don’t pay your account in full by June first, I will take the land and you with it.” He turned around, dismissing her.

  A blinding rage overcame her. She grabbed one of the cans of beans she had placed on the counter and threw it at his head. He dodged the can as it struck the cabinet behind him. He easily rounded the counter chasing her into the room. She jumped up on the bales of fur trying to stay out of his reach. He grew angry as he grabbed for her, but she continued to stay just out of reach. The trappers were all cheering him on as the show continued.

  Tuffy turned to his audience with a snarl. Without thinking of the consequences, Laura leaped on his back, jerking his wool cap off and exposing his ugly, scarred, bald head, which she beat with her fists, scratching him like a wildcat.

  He yelled as he fought to sling her to the floor. When he managed to shake her off, she fell onto one of the piles of fur pelts. Seeing his advantage, he leapt on top of her, Laura fought him with all her strength, but it was a losing battle. She clawed at his eyes, making him bellow as a fingernail went into one eye and blood oozed from the cut. She cringed at his rotten breath. He punched her, tore at her clothes, and pulled up her skirt.

  Roaring in rage, he jerked hard at her long johns. His face became an evil twisted mask. He slapped her hard again.

  Grabbing his knife from his waistband, he said, “I’m going to cut these son-of-bitching long johns off you. If you move, I will cut your throat from ear to ear and watch you bleed out while I fuck you to death. Do you understand me?”

  She nodded frozen in terror. The room had become deadly quiet as the trappers were disgusted with Tuffy’s intended rape…but no one moved to stop him.

  Suddenly, the barrel of a gun was pressed to his temple and the metallic click of the hammer cocking sounded as loud as a cannon. “Drop the knife and get off the lady.” said a soft voice.

  “Mister you are asking for lots of trouble. Mind your own business and you won’t get hurt!” Tuffy remained motionless over Laura.

  The gun barrel hit him with a vengeance on his disfigured head, knocking him out cold as he fell forward onto Laura. The dark stranger rolled him off her, allowing Tuffy’s large body to tumble to the floor.

  Shaking from head to toe, Laura met the gaze of her rescuer. “Thank you so much for helping me. I hope it does not cause you problems, mister.” Without waiting for a response, she straightened her clothes, gathered her gold items, and hurried toward the door. Grabbing a wool blanket as she went past a table piled with them, she said to the gaping trappers and Tuffy’s henchmen, “Tell Tuffy to put this on my account, will you?”

  The stranger let out a loud, hearty laugh as he stood with his hands on his hips over Tuffy’s unconscious body.

  Chapter Three

  Laura had been unprepared for the disastrous encounter this morning with Tuffy. He managed to steal her horses and hide them. How could she get home without her horses? She’d never make it by nightfall walking. After trudging a distance from the trading post, she wandered for some time in the forest, ending up near the stream as dusk settled in. Gathering enough wood to last through the night, she lit a fire for warmth and to keep wild animals at bay. She sat on a fallen log and wrapped the purloined blanket around her shoulders. Voices startled her from a doze, and she fumbled for her pistol, ducked behind some nearby bushes, and waited to see who had followed her.

  “Mrs. Brown, are you here? It’s Cora Parker.”

  Who? She couldn’t remember any Parkers, but a woman was unlikely to have pursued her with intent to harm. Laura stood up and lowered her pistol as three women approached. “Who are you? What do you want?”

  “As I said, I am Cora Parker, and these are two of my girls, Hannah and Isabel. Hank, who works for me, was at the trading post today and told us what happened. We know Tuffy has taken your horses. Do you have any shelter for the night? I would like to invite you to stay at my house, if you want to. It will be safer than this creek bank and we can see to your injuries.”

  “I remember you, now. You were in the trading post last fall when we were there. Why would you be kind to me after my husband said those mean things to you?” Laura had been shocked at his ugly behavior toward her, when the woman had only come over to say hello.

  “He was afraid I would say something to you about him visiting my girls.”

  Trying to understand what Cora meant, Laura took her time studying the three women. Cora was older; she wore a white wool shawl across her shoulders, which draped over her beautiful blue silk day dress with a low cut bodice, which revealed enough of her upper torso to let anyone who might be interested know she still had lots to offer. The two younger women were dressed like their employer, but they had a more youthful appearance. Their low-cut silk dresses of red and black, trimmed with white lace along the short hemline, showed their ankles and their wool shawls were pulled tight around their shoulders. Looking at Cora she asked, “He visited your girls for what?”

  Cora screamed in delight, “For sex, of course! For his pleasures. Most wives have no idea their devoted husbands would ever think about being unfaithful.”

  “When? How?”

  “The trips he made to town when you were not along. He always came with a pocketful of gold, which he spent on his pleasure. He liked to get rough with my girls, so I finally stopped him from coming back. That was another reason he was rude to me last fall.”

  “I…I never knew he ever came to town alone. What a fool I’ve been,” she whispered as tears filled her eyes. “I stayed at home and did all the work while he spent the gold he found on his pleasures. I guess he bought
his new boots on one of those trips.”

  “You’re not the first wife to be deceived, dearie. Will you come back with us? Are you hungry?”

  Laura nodded. “Very hungry.”

  “Come on then, and let’s get back before we freeze to death.”

  Kicking dirt over the fire to extinguish the flames, she picked up her blanket wrapping it about her shoulders as she fell into step with Cora and her entourage. She had no better options, and got the impression her new benefactor was rarely denied her will.

  Gathering her flowing silk skirt, and marching as regal as a queen with her court, Cora led the way to her palace. As they entered through the back door, she began barking orders to any and all around her to cook this and cook that. Before long they were sitting down to a hot meal, with Cora reigning at the head of the table. When they finished the delicious venison stew and hot cornbread, she dabbed her mouth with a napkin and turned her attention to Laura. “Will you tell us about yourself?”

  Laura’s cheeks heated as all eyes turned to her. How much should I share? “I don’t have much to tell. I was born in Independence, Missouri. I married Abner about five years ago. He wanted to go to California, but as we traveled on the wagon trail he kept hearing tales of gold in the mountain streams of Colorado. We settled here three years ago. Abner has gold fever real bad. He spends lots of time in the cold streams. This past winter was hard on him, as he took ill with pneumonia. He wasn’t …uh… able to come to town today. So I came, and as you know, I am without my horses to get home to care for him.” She sniffed, trying hard to fight back her tears.