Memphis

by Sara Orwig

“The hell you say! I didn’t shoot at you. Ask! We’ve been here talking for the past half hour. Harley? Matthew?”

  “Save your breath,” Caleb said in disgust without glancing at them. “You’re his friends. I know what you’ll say. I’m just warning you.”

  “You have other enemies, O’Brien.”

  Caleb looked into Dunstan’s cold eyes and felt the hatred surge between them. He walked out, striding back to Sophia’s and across her porch.

  When he came through the door, she threw herself into his arms. “I’ve been so worried!”

  “Shhh. You didn’t need to worry. It’s you we need to worry about. I’ll be with my crew. You keep that revolver with you all the time and you sleep with it and lock this house.”

  She nodded and stood on tiptoe, pulling his head down. He held her tightly, wanting the months to pass, wanting her to be his wife. Finally he released her.

  “I have to go. Otherwise I’ll miss the ferry and I need to get back to my crew before sundown. Promise me you’ll be careful.”

  “I promise.”

  “Want to go to the ferry with me?”

  “Yes. Let me get my bonnet.”

  At the dock he kissed her goodbye and stepped aboard the Mound City ferry for Hopefield across the river where he would climb on board his Memphis & Arkansas engine to join his crews. He gazed across the river at the bluffs and town. Would Sophia carry the pistol? Would it be enough protection? His thoughts shifted; would he beat Trevitt and get his line running first? Trevitt tried to kill him today. When would he try again?

  Caleb and Darcy came home for Christmas. Midmorning on December twenty-six, a telegram arrived. Caleb’s green eyes sparkled as he read it and swung Sophia up in the air.

  “Chantal and Rafe have a boy named Jared Shaughnessy O’Brien! That means they can be here when I bring in the train and they can stay for the wedding!”

  “If she feels like traveling, Caleb. And the baby—you don’t know how he is.”

  “From the telegram it sound as if he’s fine. Seven pounds. Blessings on little Jared Shaughnessy for arriving and fitting in with our plans.”

  “That’s shameful! Wanting a little baby to fit in with your train plans.”

  “And wedding plans,” he said, hugging her. “Lord, let me tell Darcy.” He went to the parlor door while Sophia sat down to continue sewing. “Darcy, come in here!” he called and in a minute Darcy appeared. Sophia was amazed at the change in him since he had ridden away in September with Caleb to work with the train crew. He had been a gangly, awkward boy. Now he was lean, taller, his skin bronze, and he had an air of confidence about him he hadn’t had before.

  “What is it, Cal?”

  Caleb waved the telegram. “We’re uncles again,” he said. “Chantal had a seven-pound baby boy!

  “Hallelujah! A boy!”

  “Darcy O’Brien! You know how much you love Daniella,” Sophia teased, and he grinned.

  “We need a boy in the next generation of O’Briens.”

  “Jared Shaughnessy O’Brien,” Caleb said, moving to a table to pick up a decanter of brandy. “We’ll have a toast, and you have to join us, Sophia.”

  She smiled at him, thinking how much he had changed her. She reached for the glass of brandy, the thin gold chain on her arm catching the light. She gazed at it, feeling happy. Caleb had it made for her Christmas gift from him, and she loved it.

  “To our new nephew, Jared Shaughnessy. May he have a heap of blessings and someday get to see Ireland.”

  They drank and Sophia coughed, wondering how long it took to get accustomed to brandy.

  “I’ll be back in a few hours,” Darcy said, walking to the door.

  “Where are you going?” Caleb asked.

  “To see Miss Driscoll,” he answered and was gone. The front door closed and Caleb moved to the window to watch Darcy.

  “He’s grown up, Sophia. I wanted to build a home and give him stability and a family and instead, I fought in a war four years and he grew up while I was gone.”

  “He’s fine,” she said, setting aside the sewing and crossing the room to put her arm around Caleb’s waist. “He’s had three families who love him, you and the Therries and Chantal and Rafe. He’s had the love of all of you.”

  “He’s doing well at work. I’ve been surprised at what he can do.”

  “Why should you be? He’s an O’Brien.”

  He looked down at her and smiled, wrapping his arms around her. “Come here, love. I have one more present for you and I haven’t had a chance to give it to you. I got it the last time I was in New Orleans.”

  He led her to his bedroom and removed something from a drawer tied in blue silk ribbon. He handed it to her.

  It was silk and she untied the ribbon, shaking out a gown of pale blue silk.

  “Caleb, this is …” her voice trailed off.

  “It’s a wedding gift. It’s a gown to replace your white cotton,” he said, his voice husky.

  “Caleb, this is … shocking.”

  “You won’t wear it for a long time either,” he said, taking it from her and dropping it on a chair as he pulled her to him. “I go back to Arkansas tomorrow morning and we’re alone for a few hours, Sophia. It’s been so long,” he whispered, bending his head to kiss her, his hands moving to her buttons to free her breasts.

  He took his time, kissing and caressing her with sweet torment, building a fire between them that made her quiver with longing.

  Later he held her close against him and she dreaded his going, knowing he was in the last stages of the struggle to get to Stuttgart.

  “Sophia, do you still have your pistol with you all the time?”

  “I don’t recall,” she said, amused, running her hand over his thigh. “Let me see …”

  He caught her hand and raised up to look down at her. “Keep the pistol where you can get it any time. If we win and the Memphis & Arkansas comes in first, Trevitt may try anything to get even. Or if he thinks we might win, he may do something.”

  “You be careful. You’re the one he tried to kill.”

  Caleb leaned down to kiss her and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him and feeling a rush of joy that she had his love. “Caleb, when you were sick and asleep, I liked to touch you.”

  His eyes twinkled, and he looked at her. “I know you did.”

  “How did you know?” she asked, startled.

  “I wasn’t always sound asleep. I could feel your hands.”

  “You’re just saying that. I don’t believe you for a second.”

  He kissed her throat. “It doesn’t matter now and I never, ever objected, love.”

  “You didn’t know. It takes only a breath to—”

  “To what?” he asked, arching his eyebrow.

  “To get you stirred up,” she answered, blushing. “If you had known what I was doing, you would have responded.”

  He chuckled. “I knew, Sophia, on a couple of occasions. And I watched you sleeping in the rocking chair and you looked beautiful.”

  “You thought I looked beautiful?”

  “Of course, I did.”

  She gazed up at him. “I love you. Please be careful when you go back to Arkansas.”

  “I will. You do the same,” he said as his arm tightened around her.

  January second, one month from his wedding date. Only three weeks away until January twenty, the date Dunstan set for his first official M&S run and celebration. Caleb stared at the track being put in place in the flaring light of lanterns. They were working around the clock now, and he was praying they could finish and take the train from Stuttgart to Hopefield on the nineteenth of January. One day before Dunstan. That was cutting the time to the minute, but it was the best he could hope to do. He had a man watching Dunstan’s crew and Tom was supposed to report to him any indication the Memphis & Springfield would be ready sooner than the twentieth.

  Caleb strode along the line, looking at the men working, knowing he couldn’t have a better c
rew. Even Drake Sweeney cooperated and worked as hard as anyone. Will wiped his brow and crossed to Caleb. “I ache from my head to my toe.”

  “You aren’t accustomed to this.”

  “I’m not very good either. The others can work rings around me.”

  “You’ll catch on,” Caleb reassured. “We need every hand we can get. The closer we get to time, the more nervous I get. Dunstan’s a dirty fighter, and he’s left us alone.”

  “He thinks he’ll win easily. Why should he jeopardize that by running risks of getting caught doing something to you?”

  “He’s tried to kill me and because of chance, he failed. And I worry constantly about Sophia.”

  “She has her revolver.”

  “In my last letter Sophia said she mailed all the invitations.” Caleb thought of the fancy invitations to investors and close friends to join in the first ride and celebration party afterward. He had left all the plans to Sophia for the party. “Will, I dream about it. We put the nineteenth on the invitation, so I hope it works out. We’ll leave Hopefield on the Memphis and Arkansas. Then it’ll be after we see Heaton’s man in Stuttgart and we turn around to come back that the race will be on to beat Dunstan to Hopefield.”

  “Have you heard how many have accepted the invitations?”

  “Not yet, but I expect a trainload of people. There’ll be seven O’Briens.”

  “My parents can’t participate. It’s brother against brother-in-law. God, I wish she hadn’t married him! And now I think she wishes she hadn’t, too.”

  “Has she ever said anything?”

  “No. But if I learn he’s hurting her, I’ll call him out.”

  “I’ll gladly be a second.”

  Will turned back to shoveling granite, and Caleb stared at him, thinking of all he had been through with Will and now here was Will working as hard as he could all through the night to get the railroad going.

  On the eighth of January, Will left to return to Memphis. They had eleven days to lay the last nineteen miles of track and then they would be ready. Caleb felt the tension mounting every day now.

  On the thirteenth Will returned, riding out in the Memphis & Arkansas engine. He jumped down and ran toward Caleb, who caught his breath at the look of worry on Will’s face. He strode to meet him, clenching his fists, suddenly feeling cold.

  “Is Sophia all right?” Caleb asked.

  “She’s fine. It’s rained up north of here. Word is that a bridge has washed out on Dunstan’s line. We don’t know how long it’ll take him to get it repaired.”

  Caleb felt a surge of elation. “By damn, we’ll win!” As swiftly as elation came, it changed and he looked at Will and sobered. “Dunstan will try to stop us.”

  “We can’t guard over one hundred miles of track. You saw what was done to tracks and trains in the war. All of us know how to put one out of commission.”

  “Damnation.” Caleb felt a knot of worry grow. He looked down the line at the torches flickering in the night and the men working. “We can put guards on every bridge. The bridges will be the most vulnerable. I’ll have men ride the track. They can each take ten miles.”

  “It won’t stop Dunstan if he wants to do something.”

  “We can try.”

  “Sophia sent you a letter,” Will said, handing it to Caleb.

  “Why didn’t you say so!” Caleb took it and Will grinned.

  “Got any brandy here?”

  “Come back to my tent.” He led the way and stopped by a torch. “Go on, Will. Help yourself. I’ll be right along.”

  He unfolded the paper, catching a scent of roses and feeling a pang of longing for her.

  “My dearest Caleb: I’ve received a telegram from Rafferty. They arrive in Memphis by boat on January sixteenth. He said the Therries and Fortune will be with him. Fortune will go first to New Orleans for a few days, then come to Memphis with the other O’Briens. So many O’Briens and Therries—perhaps they will make up for only one Merrick. I’m so happy to be marrying into a large family. I miss you dreadfully and am counting the hours. We have only five regrets to the invitations. You’ll have a train filled with well-wishers.

  My love, Sophia.”

  He gazed into the darkness to the east; his precious Sophia was only a hundred miles away. Seeing Will standing in front of the tent with the bottle of brandy, Caleb folded the letter.

  “I’ll appoint men to guard tonight. Thanks for coming all the way out here. Sophia said the Therries will arrive on the sixteenth.”

  “I know. I had a letter from Amity. I hope I can convince her that Memphis is a wonderful place to live. Thank heavens she likes Sophia so well, but I’m afraid Hannah Lou won’t be a help.”

  “I wish you luck, Will. Amity is a wonderful person.”

  “Between planning a railroad celebration and a wedding, I don’t know how Sophia has time to get out the Weekly.”

  “She’ll manage. Mazie is having more fun than anyone. She’s been waiting since Sophia was seventeen for this wedding. I’ll come to town the sixteenth when everyone arrives. Or sooner if we get finished early here. God, I hope we make it, Will.”

  “We stand a chance now. I didn’t think there was a hope in hell before.”

  “I did,” Caleb exclaimed.

  “You’re stubborn enough to keep swimming when you’re in the middle of the ocean. I can imagine how you survived that shipwreck. You and the other O’Briens.”

  “One of us didn’t.”

  “Why are you sleeping in this tent? We could hitch up the private car at Hopefield and bring it out here for your quarters. It has all the comforts of home.”

  “I’m asking the men to work under tough conditions,” Caleb explained. “I’ll not climb into an elegant private train car and go to bed at night while crews are straining every muscle.”

  “I suppose you’re right, but this tent reminds me of the war and I’d hate it.”

  “I think of the million from Willard Heaton.”

  “He’s enough of a scoundrel to say he changed his mind to the winner.”

  “No, he’ll want to invest in a winner. And we can get the money elsewhere. The eyes of all Memphians are on Dunstan and us. The man who wins this race will win more than Willard Heaton’s money.”

  “That’s right. Just be careful you don’t lose everything. Now Dunstan’s backed into a corner.”

  “Take my cot, Will. I’m going back to work.”

  “I’ll join you,” Will said, pulling on leather gauntlets. “If I’d known I was going to do this, I wouldn’t have had the brandy.”

  “It’ll keep you warm and it’ll keep you going,” Caleb said as they headed back to the crews. Caleb felt a deep-running uneasiness; Dunstan Trevitt wouldn’t give up without a fight.

  Dunstan Trevitt leaned back in his chair. He felt a knot of tension between his shoulders and he wanted to smash something, to take out his frustration somewhere. “O’Brien is going to contact all the people he invited and cancel. He’ll take a small crew on the first run and be ready for trouble and he’s posting guards at his bridges.”

  “That’s definite?” Dunstan asked. He sat in a large tent and gazed up at the man in front of him, looking at beefy shoulders and a thick neck.

  The man shrugged. “That’s what he said yesterday.”

  “And you’ll be on the train?”

  “Yes. He doesn’t suspect any disloyalty.”

  “Lord knows, I’ve paid you a fortune to get your loyalty. If I win the race, you’ll not only get what I promised,” Dunstan lowered his voice, “I’ll give you another ten thousand bonus and a parcel of land in Kentucky.”

  “Want me out of your life, don’t you?” the man said slyly.

  “It’s a good reward. I don’t want anyone able to prove anything.”

  “For what you’re paying me, you’re safe, Major. I’ve worked my ass to the bone to win his confidence, but I want to have him to myself for a few minutes.”

  “You can. Do this rig
ht, and we’ll all be happy. Sit down and listen and I’ll tell you what I want you to do.”

  The man hooked a chair with his toe and sat down, looking at Dunstan with cold pale eyes and Dunstan felt a shiver. He was taking a giant risk, stepping over the lines of the law, but the money was worth it. He would win the million and the attention and get rid of Caleb O’Brien at once. And then he would take care of Sophia Merrick. That would be a pleasure and no risk where she was concerned.

  “Here’s a map. Here’s where I want you to move,” Dunstan said, pointing at the paper, trying to pull his thoughts away from Sophia.

  Sophia stood on the wharf and watched passengers step down from the stern-wheeler. Waving, she spotted Rafferty’s head above the crowd. He wore a broad-brimmed black hat and Ormonde Therrie appeared beside him. Eager to see them after so many months, she hurried toward them. The family was already on the dock with Chantal looking radiant in a deep rose velvet dress and Jared in her arms.

  Daniella stood beside Amity, holding Amity’s hand. Three-year-old Daniella was a beautiful child with Rafferty’s dark hair and Chantal’s fair skin and pink cheeks. She gazed around with wide, solemn black eyes.

  “Chantal! Rafferty!” Sophia called, hurrying toward them, motioning to Milo, Caleb’s servant, to follow her.

  Sophia hugged them and knelt down to hug Daniella who smelled like lavender.

  “Daniella, this is your Aunt Sophia,” Chantal said.

  Rafferty swung the child up in his arms. “And where’s my wayward brother?”

  “He’s still in Arkansas, and I’m not sure when he’ll get here. Darcy will be with him.”

  “How’s Cal doing?” Rafferty asked.

  “Dunstan’s had trouble, and it looks as if Caleb will win the race.”

  Rafferty grinned. “My little brother. I’m proud of him.”

  In his blue uniform, Fortune, now a major, looking tall and solemn, walked to Sophia and hugged her. “The last time I saw you was on a dark road during a war.” He smiled at her. “I’m glad you’ll be an O’Brien.”

  “Thank you, Major.”

  “It’s Fortune, Sophia. You’ll be my sister-in-law.”

  “I have carriages and a wagon for the baggage.” Fortune took her arm and as soon as she showed him the carriages lined in front of the depot, he took charge of the luggage while Rafe directed the family. She climbed into the first buggy, looking at the tall O’Brien men and missing Caleb, wondering when he would come home.