Wherever My Heart Roams (Brides of the West Series Book Nine)

by Rita Hestand

  "Can't we learn to manufactory things?"

  "Of course, but not overnight. It's gonna take time. It takes money, time, finding places to set stuff up. No ma'am it can't be done overnight, that's for shore. Oh, we see the problem now, but it's too late to correct it, by tomorrow. That's why they will win. And despite it all, the Negroes will win this war as we will have the one thing we want…our freedom!"

  Beth nodded, "All men should be free."

  "That's just how your husband sees it. He's a mighty fine man, ma'am. But I guess you would know that, wouldn’t you?"

  "Yes, we know it well." Beth smiled at Mother Cahill.

  The third day out, they ran into southern troops across the Texas and Louisiana border. The commander seemed put out with them and especially not happy to see a freed Negro escorting them.

  "Cahill, I've heard of that name before," The Colonel said as he studied them.

  "My husband is not in the service, sir." Beth announced proudly.

  "Why not?"

  "He owns a steamboat on the Mississippi."

  "Oh, that's where I've heard the name. Everyone has a business before they go to war ma'am. That's no excuse for not joining up."

  "Perhaps, but your soldiers and equipment have been transported close to the northern lines thanks to my son sir." Mother Cahill explained.

  "Is that a fact. Exactly where are you headed now, ma'am?"

  "Into Texas sir, to my folk's farm." Beth explained.

  "If he's transporting men and machinery, that's probably a wise place for you to be. Well, I don't have time nor men to spare for your journey."

  "We aren't asking you to, sir. We'll be on our way." Mother Cahill advised him staunchly.

  The Colonel barely acknowledged her, but tipped his hat to them and turned away.

  John led them away. He'd hired a buggy now that they were inland. Another three days and they would be there.

  But a day and a half later they came upon the burnt out ruins of several farms.

  "Who could have done this?" Mother Cahill cried seeing some bodies still lying about without a grave.

  "Comanche ma'am. They are raiding all over these days because our country is at war and the forts aren't being manned. I don't know if Little Buffalo is responsible, but I wouldn't put it past him. He's getting a pretty big name in these parts." John told them as he began to dig a grave for a woman and her children that still lay on the ground.

  Beth tried to distract Mother Cahill from the chaos.

  "It would seem the whole country is at war with someone." Mother Cahill cried out.

  Beth walked about the ruins, picking things up and then laying them down, as though they were too sacred to touch.

  This made Beth more than anxious to get home and make sure everyone there was safe. She'd always thought of home as one place that would never be bothered but from the looks of these three burnt out farms, she might be very wrong. It looked very much as if they had traded one disaster for another now.

  Chapter Seventeen

  When Beth and Mother Cahill arrived at her home, there was a lot going on. Her father was patching the door and windows, the barn had a lock on it and the kids weren't playing outside.

  Digger ran up to her and ran circles around her yelping and licking at her fingers. Beth bent to pet him and smiled, "Good to see you too, boy."

  Her father saw her but returned to his work.

  "Father…" Beth called when she saw him on a ladder trying to repair what looked like arrow holes in the shudders.

  "Beth," He hollered and came down from the ladder.

  "What going on father?" She asked as she stepped out of the buggy and took the wheel chair out of the back of the buggy. John picked Mother Cahill up and set her in the chair

  "Just a little repair work is all. What are you doing here, child?"

  "Mother Cahill has come for a visit." Beth announced. "Mother Cahill, this is my father. And this is John, the man that brought us here."

  "Mr. Sawyer, I'm very pleased to meet you," Mother Cahill extended her hand as she was pushed up the incline.

  "I'm more than pleased to meet you Ma'am, go on inside, your mother will fix you some tea and she just baked a pie." Her father told her. "You too John, I'll be in directly.

  She went inside and introduced Mother Cahill and John to her mother. Her mother grabbed Mrs. Cahill and hugged her.

  "You must be so tired, all that traveling. You cozy up to the table here and I'll have some tea ready any minute. Would you like a piece of apple pie? I just made it."

  "That would b lovely…"

  "You too John, I'll just be a minute."

  Beth visited with her mother a while, and had some pie. Her mother and Mother Cahill got along famously. But when Mother Cahill went to lie down for a rest, John helped her stretch out on Beth's old bed.

  Beth went outside to speak to her father.

  Beth watched him work. "What's going on here?" Beth asked with trepidation.

  "Had us a few Indian skirmishes about."

  "Anyone hurt?"

  "Jacob took a arrow in the arm, everybody else is good." He told her.

  "Where is he?"

  Beth looked about not seeing him.

  "It just happened yesterday girl, he's in his room resting." Her father told her.

  "I'm going to see him…" Beth went flying into Jacob room, seeing him lying on his bed, with his arm holstered scared her witless.

  "Jacob!" she cried.

  He shook his head, "Oh don't take on so. I'm gonna be all right. What are you doin' here? Didn't like married life?"

  "Things were getting bad on the boat I brought Mother Cahill here, thought she'd be safer here."

  "You sure brought her at the wrong time." Jacob wailed. "I guess everybody's too busy fightin' the blue coats to notice that the Indians have gone crazy in these parts."

  "We didn't know. We've had no word. But I am glad I came back. Maybe I can help? Where's Martina?" She asked glancing about seeing no one.

  "You hadn't heard?" He turned on her like she was suddenly the enemy.

  "Heard what?"

  "They married her off too," Jacob sounded wounded now.

  "My God! Who to?"

  "You don't want to know."

  "Tell me Jacob."

  "John Savage."

  "Savage? They didn't, tell me." she pulled him by the shirt and he hollered.

  "Sorry…why?"

  "'Causes if you are a girl in this family, you get pawned off on anyone that takes a notion. John Savage had his eyes on Martina for some time, ever since she got breasts."

  "Jacob!"

  "Well, I can't help it, it's the truth. It's the truth."

  "How did she feel about it?"

  "I don't know. One minutes she acted like she liked it, the next she was wailing around here. She wished she could have talked to you. So you could tell her how being married was."

  Beth felt a betrayal from her parents now. They were marrying them off to anyone. Just to get rid of a mouth to feed. It was disgraceful.

  But with Mother Cahill here she couldn't throw a fit. She wouldn't understand it.

  "I love you Jacob." She said standing up now and looking over her shoulder.

  "How's married life?" He asked staring at her.

  Beth smiled, "It's actually nice. I've fallen in love with him, Jacob. He's a good man."

  "Well good, maybe you can forgive them then." Jacob said sarcastically.

  "I'm not sure I can forgive them for Martina. I told Martina it would happen. I just didn't think that fast. How long ago?"

  "About a month after you left." Jacob stared at her.

  "Have you seen her since?"

  "Once."

  "Was she…happy?"

  "I wouldn't say happy, but she said it wasn't so bad." Jacob turned away as though he was too angry to talk about it.

  "I've got to see her, make sure she's all right. Where are they living?" Beth said softly.

 
"Other side of the Jackson place."

  "How's your arm?"

  "Sore, but it'll mend. That's the first Indian raid I ever fought in. Sure hope it's the last. They just came up on us last evening. First thing Pa did was lock the barn up, so they wouldn't steal the horses and chickens."

  "Where is everyone?" She asked.

  "Most of them are fishing down at the creek. Pa told them not to go too far but that a mess of catfish would be good for supper."

  "Was it Comanche?"

  "Yeah,"

  "So that's why the barn is locked up?"

  "The Thompson's had all their stock stolen just last week. And heard tell over in Cripple Creek they took a captive."

  "I can't say anything to the folks. Mother Cahill is here and I don't want to upset anyone. But I’m going to visit Martina as soon as I can."

  "Well you better hurry and do your visiting."

  She frowned at him.

  "This ain't exactly the time to go visiting people, sis. Good grief."

  When she shrugged he smiled, "So how long you staying?"

  "I'm not sure…"

  "Pa ain't gonna like havin' another mouth to feed. Two mouths." Jacob said belligerently.

  "Three actually, he sent one of his employees to bring us here. He'll be going back soon though. Wade sent some money, it should take care of things for a while." Beth told him.

  "He sent money, to us?" Jacob's face snarled up.

  "He did."

  "Wow, is he rich or something?" Jacob almost laughed.

  "No, but he's not poor like us." Beth told him.

  "Is the riverboat nice?" Jacob asked.

  "Yes, it's beautiful." Beth said dreamily. "It is so nice; I wish you could see it."

  "I want to get out of here, you think your husband would give me a job on the riverboat?" Jacob asked.

  "Jacob, there's a war going on, and things are bad right now, but maybe later when things settle." Beth smiled.

  "There's a war going on here too, with those Indians, they are worse than ever, because the forts aren't manned right now, some of them are closing or are already closed."

  "I hadn't realized until we were in Texas about the Indians."

  "They won't be back for a while. We gave them one hell of a fight yesterday." Jacob told her. "So is your husband in the service or what?"

  "No, but they are using his boat. He's a spy."

  "No kiddin'?"

  "It's the truth." She sighed.

  "For the south?"

  She shrugged, "I'm not sure he knows for sure yet."

  "What do ya mean?"

  "The northern General is more considerate of him, than the southern one." When her brother didn't understand she went on to tell him. "The southern officer threatened me, that's why I'm here."

  "To kill you?"

  "Well, they aren't about to bake me a birthday cake." She laughed.

  "But why, he's no Yankee, is he?"

  "The south wants him to enlist and enlist his boat, he won't do that. That makes them mad and they don't trust him because he won't."

  "Then are you tellin' me that your husband is a Yankee spy?"

  "This is secret stuff, you don't go spouting it off, do you understand me? Anything I tell you is not to be repeated to anyone, not even Mama and Daddy."

  "Wow, he's really a spy then." Jacob muttered.

  "Yes…"

  "My sister is married to a Yankee spy, and in love with him too!" Jacob found it funny. "You tell people around here that they're libel to come hunting you themselves."

  "I'm not a Yankee spy."

  "But you're married to one. If that don't take the cake."

  "I should never have told you. You're not old enough to handle something like this…" She fretted now.

  "I'm sorry sis, I was just funnin' you. You know I'd never do or say anything to hurt you. But I have had a sore lack of funnin' since you been gone."

  Beth laughed.

  "I better go help Mama fix supper…"

  He nodded, and went back to reading the Farmer's Almanac.

  Chapter Eighteen

  When Beth went into the kitchen to help her mother, Mother Cahill hadn't gotten up yet. Beth knew she was tired from the trip so she didn't disturb her.

  "Well, I'm so glad you are here, in a way. The Indian raid was a real scare, but your father doesn't seem to think they'll be back anyway soon." Her mother was saying.

  "Have the raids been going on long?" She asked as she peeled some potatoes for supper.

  "A while up and down the creek beds, yes. They're pretty bold about it because they know the soldiers have all gone off to fight the big war." Her mother told her. "They steal the livestock, kidnap, murder and cause all kinds of things to go wrong."

  "What kind of things?"

  "Georgina Smothers was captured last week. No one's seen hide nor hair of her even though they got a posse together to find her. She's gone.

  "Georgina is only fifteen years old!" Beth cried. "That's tragic!"

  "Her mother is so upset, she nearly lost her mind."

  "It was Comanche's?" Beth asked startled by the news.

  "Yes." Her mother said and wiped her eyes.

  "Why did you marry Martina off to John Savage?" Beth blurted.

  "That was betwixt your Pa and Savage." Her mother defended herself.

  "Maybe, but you let it happen." Beth accused. "If you wanted to stop Pa you could. Why didn't you?"

  Her mother stopped what she was doing long enough to look Beth in the eye.

  "When you left Martina was lonely. Savage come by several times and he made it known to your father that he wanted to marry Martina. He paid court to her for a month and they were engaged. That's all there is to it. We didn't force her to marry. She was quite willing at the time."

  "At the time? What does that mean Mama?" Beth demanded to know.

  "She's been to the law about him." Her mother hung her head.

  "For what?" Beth came closer now.

  "He beat her a time or two…"

  "Beat her?" Beth's eyes widened. "And Pa didn't do nothing about it?"

  Again her mother hung her head, "The reason he beat her was she was out flirting with other men."

  "Flirting with other men?" Beth nearly hollered but remembered Mother Cahill was in the other room.

  "I went to see her, after I heard, I wanted to make sure she was all right."

  "Was she?" Beth asked her face screwed up in a frown.

  "Yes, but she admitted she had been flirting. She blamed us for encouraging the marriage when all she meant to do was flirt with John a little. She said because she was bored she wanted to see if she could entice a man to court her. It worked well with Savage and with a few others. I think she went a little out of her head when you left. We had no idea she would act that way. And because she admitted she was flirting around with other men after she married, there wasn't much your Pa could do about it."

  Beth flopped in a chair at the table, numbed by what her mother said. "I need to go see her…."

  "That might be a good idea, because she sure doesn't listen to me anymore." Her mother said with a slight rasp to her voice.

  Beth glanced at her mother and saw real distress. "If what you say is true, I may have caused all of this. I know Martina like the back of my hand. I put the fear of God in her that you and Pa were going to marry her off. I told her if she liked someone she better be letting them know. It sounds like that's exactly what she did, only…I didn't mean after she was already married."

  "She's not been herself since you left." Her mother told her, as she wiped a tear from her eye.

  "Oh Mama, why didn't you just encourage her to go to work or something. Anything is better than marrying us off to strangers. I mean, yes, I was lucky. I'm in love with Wade, but that doesn't mean all the other girls will be. I know times are hard, but maybe I can send money to you off and on."

  Her mother glanced at her. "That would be a great help as long as you don't send
it to your Pa. If you send it to me I can put it on the account at the store."

  "Mama, Wade set up that account, you haven't gone through it already, have you?"

  "No, but I'm just saying that if you give your Pa cash he might gamble it away again."

  Beth nodded, "That's true."

  "Why would you want to marry the girls off, Wade gave you enough to last a while."

  "It was your Pa's idea. He's got it in his head you would all be better off, married to someone. He said he couldn't take care of you proper but a good husband would."

  "That may be true, but did he ever stop to ask us if we would be happy? John Savage is all right, except when he's drinking, but if she's acting like that, he might be driven to drink all the time." Beth shook her head.

  Sarah came in and saw Beth and hugged her. "What are you doin' here?"

  "I brought my mother-in-law here, thinking it was safer here than on the boat, now I'm not so sure."

  "We sure had us a time. All us girls reloaded the guns and the boys were all shootin' with Pa." Sarah said.

  Beth looked at her sister, Sarah was about to turn thirteen and she was quickly growing into a pretty young woman. Beth shivered, she hoped her father didn't get any ideas about her. She needed to talk privately with her Pa too.

  "Where are the others?" Beth asked.

  "They're comin' they were dragging their heels so I ran off and left them on the road." Sarah laughed.

  When the others came in, Joan, Janet, James and Luke all crowded around her to hug her and tell her how much they missed her. Beth took Joan and James on her knee, the two youngest children. "I've missed all of you, so much." Beth glanced around to mess Luke and Mark's hair up and Matthew and Daniel just stared at her, almost as though they didn't know her. She was dressed nicely now and she wore lipstick and had her hair done up, so she guessed she did look like a stranger to them.