Brides of the West-Part One

by Hestand, Rita

  She did know how to make coffee, she smiled to herself as she knocked on the door to the judge's chambers.

  Cole let her in. "You're right on time."

  "I try not to keep people waiting, but I must admit I started out much cleaner than this earlier. The streets are a muddy mess." She moved toward the big desk in the room.

  "You look beautiful," Cole murmured.

  She glanced at him in question.

  The office was very prestigious with its big oak desk, and fancy western painting hanging behind it. Emily was impressed at all the citations on the wall that this judge had garnered. The judge smoked a cigar as the smoke from it filled the room, her stomach roiled.

  The judge was a big heavy set man that dwarfed them both. His brow was silver as his hair, a bit unruly, but he was smiling and obviously ready to begin the ceremony.

  Emily had no adjusting time. This was it. She was getting married…sort of…to a stranger with muddy clothes and a willing heart.

  Her stomach roiled again and she grabbed it.

  Cole glanced at her and took her hand and squeezed it. "Don't be scared. It will all be over in a minute."

  "Yes…of course." She tried to remain composed.

  He leaned toward her. "I'll tell you a little secret. I've never been married before either." He whispered for her ears only.

  "Never?"

  "Never!"

  She looked at him and despite her qualms she smiled.

  "Good morning." The judge studied her for a moment, then smiled at her.

  She lost her voice, so she nodded.

  "Are we ready then?" The judge asked, looking at her.

  "Yes," She tried to keep her voice steady.

  "Good. Now before we proceed, I'll need your given names?"

  "My name is Emily Sue Carrington." She offered without hesitation.

  "And where are you from Emily?"

  She glanced at Cole for a minute, then with a shy smile she admitted. "New York."

  The judge's brow flew up a notch. "And Cole, what is your full name?"

  "Cole Morgan?"

  "That's it?"

  "That's it!" He answered, glancing at Emily.

  "Alright, we'll begin then. Do you have a ring?"

  Cole stared at the judge for a moment, then pulled from his pocket a beautiful silver ring with a cross in the middle. It was very unique and quite beautiful, she gasped.

  Emily glanced at it and then him, shocked.

  "Good, Now we are gathered together in the sight of God…" The judge stopped. He walked toward his outside office and called a female clerk inside and also a man that she was talking to. "This will only take a minute, but to be proper we need witnesses."

  "Of course," The girl smiled at him and then at Cole and Emily.

  The man with her didn't seem to mind, and took a seat behind them.

  The big man with a warm smile read the words over them and pronounced them man and wife. Emily had a feeling she had somehow been cheated of this moment, but she braced herself for what might come. When he slid the ring on her finger, she had gasped. It was beautiful, she had to wonder where he had gotten it.

  The judge smiled.

  "You may kiss the bride…"

  Cole reached for her and pulled her gently toward him. Emily drew breath feeling his arms going around her, his head descending and his lips met hers in a storm of unspoken emotions. His lips swept over hers like a whisper, with an unanswered question.

  Despite her determination to show no passion, the minute he touched his lips to hers, she felt herself responding in kind. It wasn't something she could control.

  It was a gentle, sweet kiss that reeked of false promises. But nevertheless, she had responded.

  Cole Morgan had cleaned up well for his bride, wearing a new suit and combing his hair in some fashion. But nothing impressed her quite as much as the gentle way he persuaded her lips to part, and the boneless feeling of helplessness that made her swoon in his arms.

  She boldly met his challenge with a response she never knew she was capable of. He led her into a secret world that she instinctively knew he hadn't shared with others. In answer, she responded with complete submission, her lips melding with his.

  If the kiss yesterday had startled her, this kiss mesmerized her. Every time he kissed her, her knees went weak. She felt her heart pound and worried he might feel it. Her lips became soft and pliant and he seemed to search for her reactions. Lost in some other world, Emily found herself slipping away. Wanting the kiss to carry her further into the unknown.

  As they pulled apart, the judge cleared his throat. "Well, now…you pulling out this morning Cole?"

  That brought her back to reality quickly.

  "Yes sir, I've got one of my men checking every wagon before we leave."

  "I wish you both luck in your new life…" The judge shook Cole's hand and nodded to her. "Carrington, that name rings a bell. Well…it will come to me, I'm sure."

  Emily stood in stunned silence. Somehow this wasn't the way she had things pictured, and yet, it was more. Marrying a stranger, moving to parts unknown. But with that depressing thought came an uplift too. She was headed for a new country, with a man who was taking an enormous gamble on her. He was right, he had found a way to take her.

  Cole looked at her and smiled. "Well, Mrs. Morgan are you ready to make the journey."

  "Very much so…" She smiled.

  He offered her his arm, and she looped hers with his boldly.

  Chapter Three

  She had no idea what to expect, or how to even act around her strangely appealing husband. One minute he barked orders at his men, the next he was telling them how good a job they'd done. He seldom looked straight at her, but when he did, her heart would lurch in her chest.

  That's never happened before!

  She was attracted to her husband. That would never do. This marriage was for both their benefits, but it didn't include love. She needed to get that out of her head now before it was too late.

  She eyed him out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't that he was so handsome, it was partly the self-assured way he carried himself that attracted her. And partly that shy smile that broke across his face every now and then.

  He came up to her and looked into her perplexed face.

  "I don't have a wagon…" She said as everyone was preparing. "Like the others…"

  "Sure you do. We have a chuck wagon, and from now on until we reach Oregon, that will be your wagon." He said. "Of course when you bed down, you can take my wagon. I'll sleep underneath. I can keep a better eye on things from there."

  "Then if you don't mind, I'll go change clothes."

  "That'd be a good idea." He nodded and tipped his hat. He looked at her one last time and turned his attention to another wagon that was already having problems.

  "Any orders for me?" She asked when all the men left to carry out his orders.

  "We'll be stopping for food around noon time, You'll need to soak some beans and prepare some vitals for the men. One of the very first things you gotta learn is how to make coffee." He began. "If you can do that, you can keep this bunch pretty happy. 'Cause no matter how bad the food is they'll want a good cup of coffee to wash it down with."

  "I make excellent coffee sir." She remarked as she hopped on the back of his wagon when he pointed it out to her. She turned and sat on the edge of the wagon and dangled her feet off for a moment.

  He stared at her a moment, his face a wad of frowns. "Don't call me sir. I'm your husband. You can call me Cole. And to prevent any questions from the boys, I'll call you Em if you don't mind. Now, you'll find all the food supplies in the wagon and a word of warning, you should figure out what meal you want each day, so you aren't wasting supplies. We have an abundance of potatoes, I would like those cooked at every meal as they won't keep forever, and I personally like them with my meat. Occasionally we'll be stopping long enough to hunt for some meat. But most days, you'll have to figure that out for your
self. If there is anything you need to know how to cook I suggest you meet, Mrs. Meriwether. She's the best cook on the train and you could learn a lot from her."

  She turned her head sideways and stared at him. "You don't think I can cook?"

  "You probably can, but I got a feeling you have a lot to learn about it. The most important thing is if you can make good coffee, just remember that, you got most of it licked right there. We get up before dawn to get things ready to roll, and the men need a good cup of coffee before they begin." He suggested. "Oh and if you need help setting up, I'll send you a man that can do that too."

  "I appreciate it." She stared at him.

  "Good day, Em." He grinned infectiously.

  "Good day!"

  She watched him ride off, and check with each wagon for any problems that they might have. He gave his scout orders on which direction they wanted to head and they talked for a long time, mostly about waterholes and Indians.

  When she was able to tear her eyes from her husband, she went to change.

  Cole's wagon was plain, not much in it, so there was plenty of room for her. She thought about their conversation. He'd call her Em. No one had ever called her anything but Emily or Miss Emily. But he had made up his mind, and she knew she couldn't cross him about something so trivial. He had enough on his mind.

  She changed into a riding skirt and shirt and put an apron on. She put her hat on too, so the sun wouldn't get into her eyes as they traveled. She had bought a wide-brimmed straw that shaded her eyes from the sun.

  Since her hair was falling down anyway, she took the remaining pins out of it and ran her fingers through it until it bounced over her shoulders and down her back.

  Before they began their journey Cole arranged for the local preacher to say a prayer over the train. Everyone gathered around for the prayer.

  They all joined hands. When Cole took hers, he squeezed it gently and winked at her.

  She didn't know if that was for the benefit of his men or what, but she didn't mind.

  When the preacher was done, Cole called their attention once more. "Folks, for any that don't know me. I'm Cole Morgan, Em there, is my new bride, and I have ten men to tend the cattle and any extra wagon problems. We have a scout, Hawk, and another one, Perez to help guide us. You won't see Hawk much as he'll be ahead of us. Perez is usually close by. The first part of our journey will be easy, I can't honestly say about the rest of it. We have two thousand miles to get there. It'll take us about six months. Sometimes things go smoothly, sometimes not. Try to avoid accidents with your guns, it's a big problem at times, best not to even load them unless we see trouble along the way. Guns going off when you don't want them to, can kill real fast. Just a bump in the road can be deadly with a loaded gun. Try not to fall off your wagons, as being crushed by the weight of it, can kill quickly. Drownings happen in some of the rivers we have to cross. If you can't swim, let one of us know so we can help you across. You got wheel problems or animal problems, let us know. Getting trampled by the cattle or even one of your oxen, can kill you. Falling off an animal can kill you, so if you don't ride, then don't. Disease is one of the biggest killers on any train going that far. Cholera, smallpox, consumption. It will take us about six months to get there. It's still early spring, so hopefully we'll be there and settled before winter comes. There will be sacrifices, bad days and good. Wagons break down, we'll have to push them through the mud in places. We'll have to haul wagons up cliffs. We'll have to unload them in places. The best advice I can give is help one another. This trip is no easy feat. It goes much easier when we try to get along. We'll walk most of the way, to give our animals less stress, and lighten the loads. Women will walk half a day and ride the other half. If anyone is pregnant, I need to know so we can help you along. Keep your gear in good working order. Wood will have to be chopped every night and day. Buffalo chips are used for firewood, but remember, it takes a lot of them to keep a fire going. The ones with oxen will ride in the back of the train as they are slower and we don't want the mules and horses held up. Try to keep up, don't wander off. Keep your animals inside the wagon circle at night, as thieves are bad about stealing them. All water holes will be tested by my scout before drinking. Some may dry up and we may have to go on no matter. So never, I mean never take water for granted. When we camp by a stream, be sure and refill all canteens and water kegs. Keep your animals fed and watered, take care of them. We don't have time to do this for you.

  "We don't need unnecessary killing of buffalo either, it riles the Indians to waste and we don't want them down our throats. Only kill what we need for meat. And if there are any women that sew, we might entrust you to make some coats to keep warm as the weather will vary. No unnecessary killing of any kind. If you have a fight with your kinfolk, keep it reasonable or you'll be told to leave the train. I won't be your keepers. We got nearly thirty wagons. That's a good size load. And speaking of loads, if your wagons are overloaded, they will be lightened before we cross any gorges or cliffs or rivers. So be prepared to part with some of your favorites. Be safe, got a problem, bring it to me. Otherwise, we are off to Oregon."

  There was a rumble from the crowd as they dispersed and moved along to get in line. Two families came up to him and informed him that the lady was pregnant. Cole nodded and instructed that they should ride all the time. Unless there were some reason, they couldn't.

  Emily met a man named Bill, he would be driving her wagon, he announced.

  "Oh, thank you." She gushed, looking him up and down. Bill was a little man but wiry and tough looking. He had a sparsely covered head of brown-gray hair, with deep-set dark eyes. But his smile was welcoming.

  "Then, if you don't mind, I think I'll start getting things ready for our first stop." She glanced at him once more.

  He nodded. "That's what I'm here for, so you can git things ready. What we gonna have?"

  "I thought since we have an ample supply of potatoes right now, we'd have fried potatoes, beans, and cornbread. I'll use canned beans this first time. I already have some beans soaking for tomorrow." She smiled at him. "But I know how to doctor them so as most of you should like them…"

  "Sounds good to me. The last cook we had never peeled a potato one, they rotted and the boss was sore for a month nearly. The wagon stunk so bad we had to ditch it." Bill laughed good-naturedly. "'Course potatoes take up a lot of weight and when they rot it can be mighty unpleasant. But the boss is kind of partial to them."

  "I love to cook potatoes, they are quite filling and with cornbread and beans they are especially tasty." She went about checking on her beans. "Tell me, do many of the boys like peppers in their beans?"

  "I reckon most of us do. But just to be on the safe side, I'd say not too heavy on them at first until we know fer sure. Half this crew is new."

  She liked Bill immediately and she could tell he was going to be a big help to her on the way west. She put a mess of potatoes in her lap and began to peel them. She had poured a pot full of water to soak them until she was ready to cook them. She'd add fat back to the beans and potatoes to make them tasty.

  Cole rode up to check to see if Bill was driving the wagon or not.

  "Bill, good to see you. Have you met the missus?" Cole asked.

  Bill had glanced from Cole to her before he spoke. "So you got hitched, did you?"

  "You know I don't allow unmarried women along on the wagons." Cole glanced at her.

  "So that's how it is, is it? Well, I think it's a good match myself. She seems to know what she's doing." Bill said.

  "We'll be stopping about noonday." He cast her another look.

  Emily nodded and kept peeling.

  He tipped his hat to her, "Don't cut your finger off." He murmured as he rode off once more.

  "Where's he going?" She asked Bill as she stared at him.

  "More than likely to talk to the scout, Perez."

  "The scout is Mexican? I thought Hawk was the scout." She asked with amusement.

  "There's
two of them. One usually rides ahead to check out the best campgrounds and water holes. The other is there for the Indians and outlaws and such. Perez, he's a breed, half Mexican, half Indian. He knows all the languages and the territory. He's been with Cole for five years and he always finds water and the best route to take to stay away from the Indians." Bill informed her. "He's invaluable for all his experience."

  "Is there much trouble with the Indians?" She asked concern lacing her voice.

  "Not with us, there ain't, and all because Perez knows things that most scouts don't. But there have been a few massacre's before. Usually, our trips are pretty calm, but you never know what you'll run into sometimes. Bad weather, Indians, outlaws, and then there are sicknesses on the way. And the rivers they can be pretty rough. Sometimes we lose wagons, other times we lose people."

  Emily considered his words. "Well, I'm glad to know that this Perez can keep us out of a lot of it. Now tell me, how many hands do I need to feed?"

  "There's ten of us, not counting Perez, Hawk and the boss." Bill counted on his fingers, holding the reins all the while.

  "Ten, well, I suppose all of you have big appetites?" She asked with curiosity.

  Bill scratched his chin. "I'd say you better cook like you had twenty, and then you'll have enough."

  Emily laughed. "You are going to be very helpful…Tell me, are all the men new to the trail, or are they all experienced."

  "Cole signs a few new ones up each time, but mostly the boys come back every year to take the long journey. It's like drovers that herd cattle, they just can't find work they like any better. Sam Johnson is his right-hand man, has been for nigh onto five years. Sam knows a little about everything. Aside from Cole, Sam is the busiest man on the train. He's never in one place long."

  "If he's so good, why doesn't he take his own train up the trail?"

  "He doesn't want the responsibility of it. It takes a mighty tough fella to take this many people across so much territory and get them there in one piece. Cole has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. If he's sharp, there's usually a reason for it. So give him some leave way when he gets onry."