After a time the passengers made their way to the dining car and Victoria and Callum conversed with the eclectic group of travellers. There was a mother and three children from England, here to meet her husband and their father, who had established a homestead. There was a young couple from Ireland, who could find no work at home and so planned to create a new life for themselves. And there were many single young men, drawn by the advertised promises of free, ample land and a better life.
On this train, there weren’t any classes, which Victoria enjoyed. She hated what they referred to in England as the “upper class.” Did it matter what type of material was of the latest fashion? Whose business was it of who was married to whom? It all mattered little to her. It was why most thought she was strange and avoided her, why she had few friends except the young librarian, Marian, and her lady’s maid.
Here now, on this train, these were real conversations, about real life. There was love in the eyes of the Irish couple as they stole quick glances at one another, despite the fact that they had almost no possessions to call their own.
Callum fit right in. She watched him from the corner of her eye, seeing the side of him she had seen in the fiddler, quite distinct from how he presented himself to her. He laughed and joked, coaxing smiles from the children and earning the respect of the men and women. He was probably here to prepare for his wife, Victoria thought. A man who looked like he did didn’t stay single, and he hadn’t taken to the term ‘unattached.’ He was at ease with the children on the train, and she could picture him with a whole brood of kids, keeping him busy all day. As much as it sent her into a slight melancholy state, the thought of it made her smile.
It had turned dark by the time Victoria finished her supper and returned to her seat. Callum was still in the dining car, having a drink with a few of the other men. She settled in, turned to the window, and fell into a restless sleep.
When she woke the next morning, Callum was fast asleep, he legs stretched out in front of him. Victoria took the opportunity to explore him with her gaze. Her eyes started with the silky dark hair that swept over those strong cheekbones, to his lips that so easily curved into a smile. Her gaze traveled down the tight fitting suit that just hid his muscular shoulders, biceps and chest. She had felt firsthand the abdominal muscles that hid under his shirt. He was more man than she had ever seen in England, that was definite. He certainly attracted her, however uncomfortable and constricted he looked in shirt and pants. He was reminiscent of the Highlanders of old, of those she had heard in fables and stories from years ago, clad only in kilts.
From beyond the window, Victoria could see they were nearing a town. The church’s spires rose in the distance, and she could see clusters of people, houses and buildings. The train passed through a dark tunnel, which was framed with beautiful brick. It finally pulled into the station in Brockville. Some of the passengers disembarked, and those continuing on were told they could take an hour to stretch their legs and wander through the town.
Victoria was eager to explore and see as much of the country as she possibly could during her travels. Her legs also ached from sitting for so long. She tried to freshen up as best she could and then stepped off to find her way around the town. She left Callum where he was — she wasn’t responsible for him, let him do as he liked. If he wanted to sleep through the journey, so be it.
The station was on the town’s main street. She left the train’s platform and began wandering, not looking for anything in particular, but taking in all of the new sights and sounds. Children ran much more freely here than they did in London. Horses pulled carts through the street, which Victoria felt replicated a small English city. Maple trees shadowed the streets and buildings, constructed of new brick and fresh wood. Residents of the town barely looked at the passengers as they got off the train, obviously used to continuous visitors stopping through. Victoria let her already travel-worn gray dress drag over the fresh cobblestones and she smiled at the children’s exuberance as they escaped the train’s confines.
Victoria entered the general store which stood in the middle of main street, just down from the station. She bought a few sweets for the rest of the train ride, smiling at the elderly gentleman behind the counter. She popped one in her mouth as she left the store, sweeping her gaze across the town. As she left the store, she could see the large expanse of water along which they had been traveling. The majestic frothy current was dazzling, and she was drawn to see it more closely. The river was churning, and the blue waterline meeting the cloudy sky was magnificent. She began walking the shoreline, loving the fresh, crisp air after a day and a half on the train.
Buildings hugged the shoreline, and there was enough of a path that Victoria could wander without getting too close to the water. She figured she had enough time to explore a short way before turning around. She could not be late for the train, as it wouldn’t wait for her.
As she made her way down the sandy beach to a more isolated stretch, she looked out over the water, where there was the odd person rowing or paddling, before turning her gaze to the dock, where a few people sat enjoying the sunshine and the fresh morning air. As she continued, alone for a brief moment, she reflected on how much she treasured this time, after spending so much of it with others on the ship and the train. She loved companionship, but she also liked time on her own, to let her thoughts wander whatever paths they found. Victoria was pulled out of her reverie when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned, but saw no one. She continued on cautiously, trying to rid herself of her paranoia. No one was following her. For goodness sake, there was an ocean between her and her pursuers.
Suddenly Victoria felt a shove to her back and fingers fumbling in her pocket. She caught herself before she fell, and whirled around to find a man, just slightly larger that she was, hovering behind her. He was dirty, with torn clothing. He held in his hands the sweets she had bought, the only thing he had found in her pockets.
“Hey Missy,” he said, “I don’t suppose you have some extra pocket change hiding somewhere in those skirts of yours?”
“No,” she said, trying not to let him see her fear as she looked past him, searching for an escape or other passersby. “I’m sorry. Excuse me, I must get back to my train. My party will miss me.”
“Well what are you doing walking out here all alone? You had enough change for sweets, you have enough for a new friend.”
“I’m sorry, I spent it all,” she said, realizing he must have followed her from the store and inwardly cursed her naivety. “Now I really must be going.”
She tried to dart around him, but he grabbed at her, taking a swing at the small change purse he finally realized was hiding over her shoulder. She dodged him, then whirled her bag around and hit him with it square in the nose. Shocked more than injured, he swung around, effectively moving out of the path between Victoria and the walkway towards the train station. Before the man could recover from the surprise, she kicked him in the shin and as he hopped up and down on the other leg, she turned to run back towards the train. She pulled up short when she saw Callum standing there, a grin on his face. She realized he must have seen at least the end of the episode.
“Well,” she said, embarrassed as she realized she must have made quite the spectacle. “Thank you so much for your assistance. How gentlemanly of you.”
“You seemed to have everything under control,” he said. “Quite impressive, actually.”
“Thank you,” Victoria answered, her nose in the air, despite the fact her cheeks were bright red. Her actions had really been based on impulse and adrenaline, but she was not about to admit that to Callum. “Now, we really must be getting back.”
She brushed past him, willing her facial features into a composed state, and started back to the heart of town. He followed her in silence, inwardly chuckling yet impressed by the way she took care of herself.
Callum had woken up to a nearly empty train. From the window, he saw Victoria turn the corner down towards the r
iver, and had seen the character following her. Did she not realize that she really couldn’t wander around displaying a full pocketbook, and then disappear alone in a secluded area? He sighed. He’d noticed from the time he’d spent around her that her head was typically bent over a book or lost in a daydream. She was too innocent. She really needed to be taken care of, although she had handled herself pretty well back there. He hoped wherever she was going, someone was waiting for her. Although it was interesting — the thought of that made his stomach drop. He brushed it off. Must be that breakfast wasn’t agreeing with him.
8
The next days on the train passed fairly uneventfully. Victoria slept, read, explored any town where they stopped (taking care not to wander on her own), and made friends with some of the young mothers and their children. Victoria particularly liked Maisie and her two-year-old son, Archie. They were traveling to meet Maisie’s husband, Gilbert. Maisie’s red hair and freckles were becoming on her, and her son looked like a little imp in her likeness, particularly when he smiled wide into his chubby cheeks. They were nearly a week into their cross-country travels one morning when they sat outside the train on a grassy hill as they waited at the stop. Archie played at their feet as they discussed their destinations.
“I am traveling there as well!” Victoria exclaimed when Maisie told her Gilbert had established a home near Fort Qu'Appelle. She had meant to keep her destination unclear, but Maisie would find out when they disembarked together. “My Aunt Sarah settled there with her husband. He’s passed now but I’m to live with her.”
“That’s wonderful,” said Maisie. “Gilbert has found land close to town so we shouldn’t be many miles away from each other. We are going to farm the land. It should be such an adventure. Here, there’s a new life waiting for us! How about you? Why are you here alone? Or are you actually with the handsome Callum? We were all talking but we weren’t sure. You seemed friendly enough but not, you know, friendly. Where are you from? Why are you here?”
“Oh,” said Victoria, when Maisie finally stopped her questioning to take a breath. She remembered her cover story, that her parents had passed and her mother had wanted her to live with her aunt. It was partially true. But Maisie seemed like a truly genuine person, Victoria didn’t have many close friends, and she truly wanted one. She found she just couldn’t lie to Maisie. “Well I’m from England. My stepfather wanted me to marry, as you see, as I have a bit of an inheritance.” She didn’t think a small white lie would hurt, and continued. “He and the man who became my fiancé hatched a plan for me to be married and then they would split my inheritance. So I decided to escape. My aunt lives in Fort Qu'Appelle, so here I am. But please, Maisie, don’t say anything to anyone. Word can’t get back to England that I’m here.”
“My goodness, that’s some excitement,” said Maisie wistfully. “Who is your fiancé?”
“My fiancé was The Duke of Lansingberg.”
“A Duke! The Duke of Lansingberg!? I feel as if I have heard that name. Was there not some sort of scandal involving him?”
“It’s said he killed his wife, though they never proved it. But I think he did. You should see his estate. All of his servants just tiptoe around him, and it’s cold and dark and just awful. I think it would have taken all of the life right out of me. I believe it would for anyone. I was barely there a week prior to the wedding and already I could feel the coldness creeping into my bones. But I’m here now, so let’s not talk of England, but of the North-West Territories and the future ahead.”
“I do hope you find happiness in this new land,” said Maisie, although Victoria could tell she had a hard time masking her excitement at the drama of Victoria’s story. She was bursting to ask more questions but could tell Victoria had said all she would about her past. “I’m afraid it may have taken Gilbert some time to learn the ways of farming but he promised the house would be built by our arrival.”
“Well we will have to be sure to spend much time together as we become accustomed to this new place,” said Victoria. “I can help you with Archie whenever you need.”
“And I’ll help find you a husband!” Maisie said excitedly. “How fun that would be.”
“No husbands,” Victoria laughed. “I’m quite content on my own, thank you.”
“You may think that,” said Maisie. “But a man can be nice sometimes, for many reasons. And what about Callum? My, Victoria, I love my Gilbert but Callum is the most magnificent man I have ever seen. Why, I’ve never in my life seen so much strength in a man. And yet he is sweet! Archie loves him and Archie doesn’t like most men.”
“Oh yes, I suppose he’s very nice,” said Victoria. “However I do not think he cares for me in the way you’re suggesting. He has made atrocious assumptions about me, and if he would like to believe as he does, then so be it. And while he hasn’t shared much, I do believe he is preparing for a woman to join him, wherever he’s going.”
“He’s mysterious, then, too!” said Maisie, laughing. “How perfect! Victoria, you must pursue him, and see what happens. Whatever could you lose?”
“My dignity. My self-respect. My heart,” Victoria said with a sigh.
“Well nothing that cannot be fixed,” said Maisie in her naturally cheerful style. “I say, take him, Victoria!”
Victoria laughed at her new friend.
“Toooorrrr-yaaa!”
They were interrupted by Archie, who was done playing with his blocks on a blanket at their feet and ready for more entertainment. He couldn’t seem to sit still for long, but his presence on the train was entertaining and certainly made the days go by more quickly.
“Yes, Archie?”
“Play with me!” He threw a block at her.
“Archie, no!” said Maisie, who loved her son but wasn’t the best disciplinarian.
“Play, Mummy!” he threw one at Maisie.
“Young lad, that is quite enough time with the ladies.” Callum swooped in and picked up Archie. “Come, Archie, time for you to spend some time with the men.” He effortlessly scooped Archie under his arm and spun him in circles as the horn blew, signalling a warning to re-board. Archie squealed with laughter.
“Thank you, Callum,” said Maisie with a smile of relief, before turning her gaze to Victoria, raising an eyebrow to her as she looked Callum’s way. Victoria smiled and shook her head.
As Callum carried Archie up the steps back onto the train, Maisie and Victoria packed up the blanket and moved on to daydreams about life in Fort Qu'Appelle as they reboarded the train and got settled back into their seats.
In the dining car, currently set for entertainment, Callum was letting Archie help him with his poker game. The stakes were low, as none of them had much to play with. But Callum was smart, and had done well throughout the ride west, although he wasn’t sure how well he’d do with a boisterous little boy on his knee.
He had been waiting to see where Victoria would depart the train as they made their many stops along the journey, but here she stayed. He wanted to ask where she was going, but then that could lead to returning questions about why he was here, where he was from, and where he was going. He preferred to keep his motives to himself. Becoming close to Victoria would not help with any of his objectives and only complicate matters as he was to return to Scotland.
He was happy Victoria had found Maisie to bond with. She was spending more time with the other women as they kept some distance from one another. They had silently agreed it was best, after they realized others mistakenly took them as a couple. They spent time together, but each could feel the space between them as if it were an actual physical object. Distance also kept him from imagining an impossible future. Victoria was not a woman he should be dreaming about. She was a woman he could fall for, and that was not an option.
As the train chugged west, Victoria and Callum developed a polite ease around one another. When they did speak, it was cordial. Callum spent most of his time in the dining car with the other men. Victoria hadn’t shared
her cover story with Callum. It just didn’t seem right to lie to him. But she couldn’t tell him the truth either, so she just stayed silent. Not that he was completely open and honest with her, but they were beginning to develop an unspoken trust that she didn’t want to break.
“Archie is getting restless,” Victoria told him one afternoon as they sat together on the train. She had changed from her dress to a blouse and pleated skirt, which was more comfortable. As she had promised herself, the corset remained in her valise and she felt so much freer. “We played hide-and-seek again, but it’s becoming harder all the time. There aren’t many places to hide in a train car! And Archie was quite upset he couldn’t find his best hiding spot.”
Callum laughed, thinking of the day before, when Archie was so proud of his hiding spot behind Callum’s broad back. Victoria had pretended not to see him until he became restless and began making noises to her. “There are fewer and fewer people for Archie to hide behind,” Callum remarked, referring to the train that continued to empty the further west they traveled. It was rare that someone boarded the train.
“True,” she agreed, smiling with him as they thought of the entertaining few days with the young boy. Maisie had certainly appreciated some help in watching over him.
Victoria’s smile faded as she looked out the window. She was becoming slightly despondent as the land turned more and more flat and barren, with barely a tree in sight.
Quest of Honor Page 20
