Angela's Hope (Wildflowers)

by Banicki, Leah

  “That was embarrassing.” Angela decided to speak first.

  “Not any more than me acting like a tongue-tied fool just a bit ago with you.” Ted said, not quite as nervous now.

  “You said just enough, Ted. I feel the same. There is something about you too.” Angela took his arm and gave him a nudge. They walked upstairs together.

  “Before we go up I would like to ask something, perhaps a bit belated.” Ted took her hand in his.

  Angela was silent and waiting, hoping her smile made him comfortable enough to keep speaking.

  “Would you allow me the honor of courting you, Miss Fahey?” Ted said with all sincerity written on his face.

  Angela could only nod, not trusting her voice just yet. They both arrived to the door with deep flushed cheeks.

  * * * * *

  The talk around the table first started with a good dose of teasing. The young people blushed attractively and Amber had to get Gabe and Clive to stop or the blushing would have gone on all night.

  “I swear you men love your teasin’.” Amber said.

  “They do, Mrs. Quackenbush but I do not mind so much. Being teased for courting is far better than being teased for doing something ridiculous or being bad at your work.” Ted said with a little wisdom.

  “True, young lad.” Clive laughed. “Had a few of those moments myself as a lad. Took me a long time to live down a few things that happened around the school yard as a boy.”

  Everyone was curious but Clive shooed away their requests. He said he had to keep a few mysteries, otherwise he would run out of stories.

  “I guess perhaps now would be a good time to get some advice.” Angela said, she looked over at Ted, she was momentarily distracted by his blond curly hair but tried to shake it off. “Bradley Henderson is being a pest and I have tried all within my power to dissuade his advances but it has gone further than I know how to handle.”

  She explained how he had told his family they were engaged then ignored her completely.

  “Some young men are lacking in the brains department, it cannot be helped sometimes.” Clive said with a serious look on his face. “A pretty face makes them lose all listening skills. Bradley perhaps is lost in a land of delusion. He is like a moth and your lovely red hair, the flame.”

  Everyone laughed at Clive as he fluttered his eyelashes at Angela, like a lovesick puppy.

  “I understand the sentiment.” Ted said and laughed right along with everyone else.

  “I may have to pay a visit to the Henderson's place tomorrow before they open for lunch. I will try and explain the confusion. I will pass along your feelings to him and his family if necessary. I can stand in the place of a guardian for you, dearie. No need for you to face the eager lad again, especially since he is blinded by love. Hopefully his brains return to him soon.” Clive offered. Everyone agreed it would be the best situation.

  “I do feel badly, I do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings but…” Angela paused.

  “Bradley has made a blunder, Angela. You need not concern yourself over hurting him when you have explained yourself clearly.” Amber stated. She patted Angela’s hand across the table.

  “So who wants my cinnamon crumble bread?” Amber stood and grabbed a few plates. Every hand went up.

  Angela joined in and Ted took all the plates from her and told her to sit. Angela grinned and blushed but did as she was told. Being courted by the right person made a big difference she realized. As Ted served her a fresh coffee and dessert and sat next to her, she felt a little silly and liked it.

  * * * * *

  Clive returned from the Henderson’s restaurant with a smile and whistling. Angela was at the counter with Amber. Silas was in a sling around the front of Amber. Playing with a bit of soft clean cloth that was tied in knots. He enjoyed chewing on it with his pink gums.

  “So, were you able to talk to Bradley?” Angela couldn’t wait to ask.

  “Yes, it was not an easy task. I ended up talking to his mother and father as well. I was hoping to avoid it but there was nothing to be done for it.” Clive sat down on a stool for a minute as a customer came in. Angela helped the customer find the items he was looking for and took his money. She was very curious about how the meeting with the Henderson family went but she was very professional, no one would have known but Clive that she was even the slightest bit distracted.

  Once the bell on the door signaled the customer was gone Clive continued his story.

  “Bradley was not convincible by me. It was only after I confirmed several times to his father and mother of your lack of affection were they able to change his mind. I explained that you liked him very much as a friend but felt nothing more than that.”

  Angela frowned but nodded. Her heart was sensitive to Bradley’s feeling a little, but if he had only listened perhaps he wouldn’t have let his heart get so carried away.

  “Was he able to take it manfully?” Amber asked hopefully.

  “No, I can say that the conversation ended with an embarrassing scene. I hope they will be able to calm Bradley down as the day progresses. I know you enjoy the Sunday service, but perhaps this Sunday you should commune with the Lord from home. I cannot say for certain that Bradley will not make a scene.” Clive shook his head. Angela could tell he was reliving the scene in his mind. By the look on his face it must have been comical.

  “I can stay home, I do not want to cause him further pain.” Angela said.

  “I will stay with you. We can study the word together. Silas was a bit loud last Sunday and kept interrupting the preaching. This way we can have a peaceful time and no one needs to get emotional or renew their undying affection in front of a crowd.” Amber said with a little giggle on the end.

  “I will pray that Bradley recovers quickly. There is no need to get so worked up over such a short acquaintance. Truly, we barely knew each other.” Angela declared, remembering his glares being so awkward and fervent.

  “You barely know Ted.” Clive said with a grin.

  “I haven’t made a scene and announced that we are getting married either.” Angela retorted.

  “Very true.” Clive conceded and gave her a bow. “Well. I am headed to the docks. I have shipments coming soon. Will be checking the warehouses as well. There are some things to be shipped to Oregon. If you wish to send any letters be sure to get them to me by Monday.”

  Angela nodded and gave Clive a kiss on the cheek.

  “Thank you for helping with Bradley. I owe you another one.” Angela said with sincerity.

  Chapter 19 - Corinne

  February 1850 – Willamette Valley, Oregon

  Corinne was ecstatic to find a letter waiting for her in town.

  JQ was standing at the counter with his wife and Corinne had never been formally introduced so she spent a moment getting to know JQ’s wife.

  “Pleased to meet you. I am Mrs. Grant and I would happy if you would call me Corinne. I have heard a lot about your son and daughter in-law. I am so pleased to finally get to meet you.” Corinne smiled sweetly.

  The woman was tall and well corseted around a bigger frame. She wore an elegant blue and white day dress that impressed Corinne immediately. Her eyes were large and had an elegant look to them but the woman’s frown was making Corinne a little nervous until the woman lifted the corners of her mouth for a polite smile.

  “Charmed.” She said at first, a bit haughtily in Corinne’s estimation. “I am Millicent Quackenbush.” The woman slowly extended her hand and Corinne grabbed it with a delicate shake. “Clive has mentioned you several times when he has visited.”

  Corinne felt the conversation dragging and tried to keep her face into the perfect picture of politeness.

  JQ must have felt the strained conversation so he jumped in. “Millie really enjoyed the Jasmine oil that Clive got from you so much she hired the apothecary to make her a special batch of perfume using it. I was told you made that yourself.” He said with enthusiasm.

  “Yes, Dolly,
who works for me helped with the distillation. We actually harvested that jasmine while on the Oregon Trail. It was growing in abundance in a fertile valley after our train had survived a drought. The Jasmine pods were the perfect time for harvest. It felt like a gift from God at the time. I am so glad that you enjoy it.” Corinne realized she had probably said more than Millie wanted to hear.

  Millie raised her eyebrows with a show of a smidge of interest but said nothing. J.Q. smiled and stated, “Clive is always excited when he comes back with something new from your place. I just got a box from him. I think this package is from Russia.” J.Q. smiled and it warmed Corinne’s heart for she saw the same warmth and a few similarities to her dear friend Clive.

  “You look so much like your father at times.” Corinne blurted out and then felt foolish.

  He laughed and nodded. “Well if my hair gets any greyer than I will look like his brother and not his son.”

  Corinne laughed and saw that Millie had turned and was beginning to walk away.

  “It was a pleasure, Mrs. Quackenbush.” Corinne was trying to make a good impression but felt that it wasn’t going to be easy.

  “Yes, dear, a pleasure.” Millie said without turning around.

  “My Millie has a hard coating but once you are through, it gets easier.” J.Q. said once his wife was gone from the room.

  Corinne smiled but kept her mouth shut. She nodded and waited while JQ looked for the package. He was back a minute later. She thanked him and met Lucas who was waiting near the wagon. He had picked up the tools he needed and she hoped he hadn’t been waiting for long.

  “I met JQ’s wife today.” She said as he helped her into the wagon.

  “Oh, that is nice. I haven’t had the pleasure.” Lucas said. He smiled up at his wife and saw her frown.

  “She was a little bristly but JQ says she warms up after a while.” Corinne stated and shrugged her shoulders. “I was polite.”

  “That’s all you can do.” Lucas said as he climbed up on his side. He tucked her package under the seat to keep it from sliding.

  When the wagon was home Lucas had Corinne go in out of the chilly wind that had picked up.

  She went inside and got the fireplace started. The coals were still warm enough to stoke with a little kindling.

  Corinne opened the small box first and saw Clive’s handwriting.

  “These are a Russian breed of almonds. They are said to be hardier in the cold than the United States variety. I had the instructions translated by a friend here in San Francisco. See you soon, Clive Q.” She read it aloud.

  Corinne went over the instructions and opened the linen sack of seeds. She dipped her hands in and felt the dry and hard husks as they rubbed against her hand and each other. She set the bag and instructions aside and got out the letter.

  Dear Corinne,

  Things are going well since Silas has been born. Had a few unfortunate mishaps with the chickens but they are laying eggs for me nicely. With the cost of feed so high I have to charge a lot for the eggs but people are gladly buying every single egg I have for sale on a daily basis.

  Ted Greaves started courting me this week. I like him very much and look forward to getting to know more about him. I also had another young man from the local church that wants to court as well but he is under some misguided idea that we are already engaged. I have told him several times that I am not interested. He is a bit dim, but harmless.

  This week I also got the posters made and will be looking for Sean outside San Francisco. Clive is heading out to several different locations to spread the word for me. There is a part of me that wants to give up and come back to Oregon and get away from the city life and the corruption that is plaguing this place.

  All I have left is hope. I guess I had this vision that a few weeks in San Francisco that Sean would just stride into the mercantile and we would be reunited. Then we would go to Oregon and live near you. I am now seeing that as an unrealistic expectation. Thousands of people are arriving here and we are told that thousands more will be pouring in every month. I try to stay positive but sometimes I wonder if the darkness within this city will overcome anything decent and all people with good intentions and a soul will be snuffed out in the greed that glitters like the gold dust everyone pursues.

  I say my prayers every night for this city, that souls will not lose their way. I see evidence of crime and corruption everywhere. I just look at the ground whenever I walk through the city, only during the day because I do not want to be considered brazen in any way. Because so many women here are prostitutes I cannot walk the streets without being called the foulest things, I have had men bring me gold dust to the counter at the mercantile for unspeakable requests.

  I am praying daily that God will bring Sean to me safe and sound so we may leave this place together.

  Angela

  * * * * *

  San Francisco – Ted Greaves

  Ted spent several days working at the town square. The rebuilding of a firehouse needed strong backs to get the roof on before the rains made the place a mud pit again.

  The pay was good but Ted didn’t like the group of men he was working with. A lot of miners had been trickling out of the city, as the weather was getting warmer. It was fickle, though. The cold and rain had its way of sneaking in and making a miner’s job near impossible. Some camps had stragglers come back to town to say that the ground was not cooperating or the runoff of melting snow was making the situation unbearable.

  Ted found the gold miners that stayed behind as a poor labor force. Their minds were always on something else, and their mouths always complaining about how they wished they could be in the streams getting gold dust. It reminded him of his lazy uncle Hank, who always had excuses when it was time to get things done. He always wanted to be fishing or drinking.

  Ted could work and have focus and get the job done, he could have meandering thoughts of his dreams, even perhaps a few thoughts of a certain lovely young lady that would keep his mind pleasantly occupied as he worked but he could control himself.

  His employers were very satisfied with his work and he was always offered more jobs than he could reasonably do. He took the work he was led to, usually he accepted the work that sounded most interesting and had the best pay, but not always. If he felt led to a job that needed him, he was open to lesser pay if he knew the deed was something that would bless someone.

  He had done a few jobs on the docks like that. Some businessmen had lost buildings in the fire and were scrambling to get back on their feet. Ted and a few other laborers helped one man use an abandoned ship that had been towed up to the dock. They stabilized it and with a few nights of hard work had turned it into a small restaurant on the dock. Certain parts of the boat made for a lovely dining room.

  Ted was quite proud of helping on that project and looked forward to showing it off to his friends here in San Francisco but also he could see his mother and sister enjoying the storytelling of how he helped turn a ship into a dockside restaurant.

  He finished his work for the week and got his pay. He hadn’t been to see the Quackenbush clan in several days and he was hoping if he showed up at this hour he might be invited to supper.

  He had money to buy a supper at the Henderson’s restaurant if he needed to, but he really wanted the companionship. Now that the weather was getting warmer Clive had been talking about a special trip inland. He was hoping to discuss it at length if Clive was around.

  Ted walked the streets. The drizzle had slowed and a mist hung in the air but the sun was trying to peek through the haze. The hint of warmer weather was tantalizing.

  Ted felt a tug at his heart wondering how the green valleys of Oregon would bloom with the spring sun. How those rugged mountains would lose most of their snowy caps and the land would be fertile and lush, the rivers full of fish and the wild game abundant. His visit had planted a fertile hope in his own heart. He wanted to take his own place in the world, as his own man. He had a pretty good ide
a where he wanted that to be.

  The far-side of San Francisco was bustling with business. The streets were active with wagons and people getting the last of their errands for the day. The newspaper, The San Francisco Chronicle, office was getting a new sign over the door. A man on a ladder did an interesting balancing act to get the sign hung just right. The bank was next door and across the street was the general store that Gabe Quackenbush ran. The new rule laid down by the town was being taken seriously. Buckets of water were in front of every building. After the big fire in December and several other near catastrophes made the council pass a new law, every building was to have a minimum of 6 buckets of water in front of the building. It wouldn’t keep a raging inferno away but would speed up the dousing of a small fire before it spread.

  Ted stopped at a water barrel and splashed his face. He patted his hair back, hoping he looked decent.

  I should have stopped and changed out of my clothes. Ya fool! He thought to himself. In his foolishness he had walked over in his work clothes.

  He saw Angela had seen him from across the street. She was waving at him through the window. She was wearing a light-colored dress; her red hair was long and heavy down her back. She had a ribbon in her hair. She looked like perfection to him. His chest swelled at the thought of being near her again. The store had a few customers inside. Gabe and Amber were helping the customers at the counter. Angela was fussing with a display by the window when he entered. The jingling bell was as light as his heart when he saw her.

  * * * * *

  Angela was nervous and excited about seeing Ted again. She had watched him since he was halfway down the street. She admired his long strides as he took in his surroundings. She felt an unusual flutter when she saw him splash water over himself.

  “So sorry, I should have changed into better clothes but forgot until I got here.” Ted said with a look of slight worry across his forehead.