Seth made sure the railcar door was secure, then picked up their luggage, two carpet bags in one hand, and the extra in his other hand while Lilly picked up her reticule and hat box.
“Thank you for your help. You know how to handle horses, don’t you?” Seth asked, probably waiting for her to tell him why she was so good with them.
“You’re welcome. Thank you for trusting me with them, too. It means a lot to me.” Lilly smiled up to Seth, but wasn’t going to say anything else at this moment.
Seth nodded at her acceptance of his thanks. “Time to board the passenger car, but it shouldn’t be full since it’s traveling with the livestock train. The passengers will be mostly buyers and livestock handlers. I doubt you’ll have many women to visit with, if any,” Seth told her as they walked side by side.
“What a change! After working in a factory with all women, now I’ve been around mostly men since I arrived in Chicago,” Lilly laughed and shook her head. “And except for you, I haven’t meet any man I liked either.”
***
The passenger car wasn’t a third full, so people had room to spread out. People slept, played cards, or read a book or newspaper. The main conversations between passengers were about the Union Stockyards, the livestock show many attended, or the cattle or horses they bought and were transporting home. Two men asked Seth about his ranch and said they’d like to stop by sometime to see his stock.
There were two older wives with their husbands on this leg to Kansas City, so Lilly had someone else to talk to besides him. Seth enjoyed hearing Lilly’s laughter and occasional giggles when the three put their heads together. She’d easily make friends in Clear Creek—or wherever she ending up living. Although they’d known each other less than a week, he’d started to assume she’d be in his life forever.
Now they sat together watching the scenery roll by as dusk began to take over the sky. They were going through Missouri now, and would be pulling into Kansas City Stockyards tomorrow morning. This would be their second night of sleeping on these bench seats.
When they arrived in Kanas City, Seth hoped to get the horse car switched onto the next train heading to Denver tomorrow. It might be the next day, though, before it could happen.
He wouldn’t be surprised if they had to transfer the horses to another car, but that would be all right because the horses could use the exercise and fresh air. If the horses ended up staying in the car another day, he’d be sure the stalls were cleaned out and fresh straw provided. And if they needed to spend the night, he’d find a hotel nearby for him and Lilly. Seth was ready to get home to his own bed that was for sure.
But then he looked over at Lilly. When did she leave Massachusetts? Seth guessed she missed her bed every night since then, and looking forward to a new permanent place to sleep.
Seth and Lilly talked about a variety of subjects the past two days, but she still hadn’t talked about her life in Sweden. She’d slipped once saying something about being forced to come to America, as though she didn’t have a choice?
The woman’s knowledge of horses astounded him. Not only did she know how to handle strong stallions, her choice of words showed she was very familiar with breeding and showing of pedigreed stock. She did more than “chores” at that manor farm. Why didn’t she tell him?
Maybe he needed to ask her point blank.
“Lilly, we’ll be pulling into Clear Creek the next day or two. People you’ll meet—be it my family, every Swede in town, or the storekeepers—will ask you all kinds of questions. A few will be downright nosy, but the majority will want to welcome you and get to know you better.”
She looked at him, then down at her hands in her lap. She knew what he was asking and it was making her nervous. He could tell because she was rubbing her right thumb and forefinger together. Seth was learning her mannerisms, as she was probably learning his, too.
“Hopefully by now you know I’m trustworthy, and I won’t think badly of you for anything you’ve done in the past. Could you please share with me about your life in Sweden?”
Lilly turned to look out the window, like she didn’t hear his question.
“If there is anything you want to keep private—between us only—I promise I won’t tell another soul unless I need to tell it for your safety.”
She continued to stare at the horizon another long moment, then looked around at the people sitting around the car. Finally she nodded her head and glanced at Seth.
“I realize my life in Sweden might have been typical for the social classes in Sweden. My parents were sharecroppers for a landlord, who…wasn’t always fair in his dealings. Sweden had a bad drought in the late 60s, problems with the church, the government…
“When people heard about the free land in America after the Civil War they left Sweden en mass. Families were in church one Sunday, and the next Sunday they weren’t. The majority leaving were single young people because there were no jobs to be had, or their family farm had been divided so many times it couldn’t support another family.”
Lilly stopped and stared out the window again. I knew everything she told me, it was common knowledge these reasons she mentioned were why there was a large Swedish population in our area.
“Moder had three children before me, but only one brother survived. After Johan served his time in the military, he took off to the nearest harbor and signed on to work on a ship. I’m not sure if he’s still in contact with my parents.
“After I was born, my moder had my sisters, Stina, Abela, and Nadia. There’s about two years of age between us.
“Fader continued to have problems growing his share of crops to give to the landowner, or to sell to pay taxes, let alone feed his growing family. So, as payment one year, I moved to the manor farm to help with the landowner’s younger children, along with doing chores.”
“You were young to be taking care of younger children.”
“By age ten, a peasant’s daughter can do about anything an adult can do except where strength is needed.”
“Was the farm close enough so you could live at home, or did you move into the manor house?”
“I slept in the barn, Seth. And as you probably guessed, I never had enough to eat.”
Seth moved his arm to wrap it around her shoulders, and gave her a squeeze. “But you have enough food now, and your lovely face is filling out to make you even prettier than you were when I met you. Please continue your story.”
“As the children grew older and didn’t need me as much, I spent more time with the horses. Their breeding stock was exceptional and sold well to other big farms. Local farmers couldn’t afford them.
“I spent a great deal of time with the eldest son, Mans, as he exercised the horses and I took care of their stalls and grooming. We…became close friends.”
“How old were you when you fell in love with him?”
Lilly sharply turned to look at Seth. He’d guessed right.
“Probably when I was fifteen and he was eighteen. But it was five years later before he started paying attention to me. For two years we met daily in the barns, never out in public of course, and planned our future. In another year Mans would receive a large sum of money as part of his inheritance.”
Seth slowly rubbed circles on the top of her shoulder, showing he was there for her, whenever she wanted to finish her story.
“When we announced in church we planned to be married, Mans’ father…he…told me he would give my parents the land they farmed—and forgive all their debts to him—if I’d move to America instead of marrying Mans.”
He knew her decision because she felt she had to protect her family. “Why didn’t Mans stand up to his father?”
“His father said Mans would be disowned, and he’d be as poor as me. So Mans decided I’d go to America so my parents could own their land, and Mans would follow me to America a year later after he got his inheritance.”
“So what happened to Mans since you aren’t with him now?” Seth sadly assumed
he had died, either in Sweden or shortly after getting to America.
“After I arrived in Boston, I mailed a letter to my sister to pass on to Mans so he’d know where I was. Mans mailed back to me…um, professing his love, promising he’d follow me to Boston in a year. Rather than travel to Illinois where several of my shipmates were headed for housemaid jobs, I stayed in the area so I could meet his ship.
“Mans wrote two more times, but then nothing else. I wasn’t getting any letters from my family either so I was very worried of what might have happened in our village. Had there been a serious outbreak of a disease, a fire? Why wasn’t I getting any letters from my loved ones?”
Lilly opened her reticule, pulled out her handkerchief and blew her nose in it.
“I wrote to a friend asking what was going on, since I wasn’t hearing from anyone. Six weeks later I heard back from her that Mans had married my sister, Stina.”
Seth was floored. After all Lilly had done for her family, this happened? “Are you sure she was telling the truth?”
“About six months ago my sister finally sent me a letter and a studio portrait of her and Mans in their wedding clothes. Before I left for Chicago I got a letter from a friend, saying Stina had a baby boy now.”
“I’m sorry, Lilly.” Seth wanted to gather her in his arms to comfort her, but didn’t know whether she’d be receptive to his sympathy. To be let down by the people you love…Seth couldn’t imagine any of his family doing anything like that to one another.
“I haven’t heard anything from my family since then.”
“Did you write to let them know you were moving to Chicago to marry?”
“Yes, a brag letter saying I was marrying a wealthy business man! And look where I am now!”
Lilly put a hand over her mouth, horrified by her last outburst. “I’m so sorry, Seth, I didn’t mean to put down the fact…”
“I’ll take it as a compliment instead. You’re heading to a new life in Kansas, with your own horse, and a good friend who’s now your husband. That’s where you’re at now, and things have improved for you.”
“Thank you for reminding me of that.” Lilly rubbed her wedding ring while she stared at it. “For your sake, I think we should take our rings off before we get to Clear Creek though. I’m sure you’d prefer to get our annulment without everyone knowing we were married.”
“Let’s wait until we get near there. They are safer on our fingers, don’t you think?” He was getting used to wearing it, and wasn’t sure if he wanted to take it off—ever.
Chapter 9
Last night they had unloaded the horses to a pen for the night and found a hotel for themselves. Early this morning, they loaded the horses into a livestock car attached to a passenger train heading to Denver. Lilly had spent the day staring out the window, absorbing the layout of her new home state.
“This is it, we’re coming into Clear Creek,” Seth looked outside the window, then to her, then back out the window.
As the train slowed, her heartbeat increased. This could be my new home, where Seth’s family and friends live, where I’d shop and go to church. She squeezed her eyes tight, trying to control her runaway emotions, but started to hyperventilate instead.
“Lilly, what’s wrong? Lilly?!”
She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself, but sobs took over as she cupped her hand over her mouth. Finally! I finally have a home and a husband, a place free of hunger and worry!
“Lilly?! Answer me! What’s wrong?” Seth whispered as passengers around them looked on in concern.
“Nothing! Things are finally going to be all right for me! It’s been years since I’ve not had to worry about what’s around the corner, or where I’m going to find a meal.”
Lilly turned in her seat and wrapped her arms around Seth, tugging him tightly against her chest. “Thank you for bringing me here, Seth. I don’t know how I would have survived in Chicago…”
“Hey, dry your tears, you’re going to have a great life in Kansas. You’ll have plenty of Swedes around you to keep you happy now,” Seth whispered in her ear as he gave her a tight hug.
“Yes, I know I will, it’s just…”
“Overwhelming? I understand, but it will all work out.”
The final chug of the engine, screech of the wheels on the rails and the train came to a complete stop. People turned their attention from her crying spectacle to stand, gather their belongings and join the line to depart from the train.
“Let’s let the others leave first, then we will stand. Look clear down to the end of the street,” Seth pointed to his left. “There’s the church, and the parsonage is on this side of it. That’s where I grew up and where my parents still live.”
Lilly scanned the buildings down the street until she saw the small, white, wooden church with a plain bell tower on the roof above the double door entry. Trees were few and far between, and those weren’t very large compared to the trees back East. There was a big contrast between Boston, which had been there for over a hundred years, to Chicago, around fifty years, and Clear Creek, which Seth had told her was established just a little over twenty years ago.
But of the three places, she liked the looks and feel of Clear Creek the best.
Clothing on both men and women walking on the boardwalks were more basic, useful versus frivolous. Most men wore cowboy hats here instead of fedoras, and some wore gun belts around their waists.
“Let’s get off now and unload the horses. There are pens south of the railyard where they can rest. Once they’re taken care of, we’ll go over to my parents’ house so you can meet them.”
There were very few people milling around this depot compared to everywhere else she’d been, and Seth nodded or said hello to practically everyone, but he didn’t stop to introduce her to anyone, although people looked her over, likely wondering who she was. Seth was anxious to get the horses unloaded, because the train would be pulling out after a short stop.
The railyards were quiet compared to Chicago’s and the horses unloaded without any problems. The horses would rest in the railroad corral until Seth and Lilly could lead them to the horse ranch.
The afternoon temperature was warmer than she’d felt in a few weeks and she relished the feel of the sun on her face. There was no snow here, only fall–dried grass and those few leafless trees.
Seth pointed and told her about different places as they walked to the church; Taylor’s Mercantile, Clancy’s Café, the Paulson Hotel, the school…
Lilly wished she could have taken a bath somewhere before meeting Seth’s parents, but Seth brushed off her worries, saying it wouldn’t matter to them and walked on, apparently anxious to see his parents and introduce her to them.
Seth rapped on the front door twice before turning the knob and walking into his childhood home. Lilly followed, not expecting him to go in without being bade to enter.
“Ma? Da? You home?” Seth called, walking through the living room to where the kitchen must be.
“Seth! Glad you’re home!” a tall muscular woman with bright red curls met him before he stepped into the next room and gave him a big hug. “What happened to your face? You look like you walked into someone’s fist.
“Ma…”
“Well, glory be, son, who’s this lass with you?” Seth’s mother asked excitedly while grabbing Lilly’s hand. “Welcome to the Reagan household, my dear, I’m Kaitlyn Reagan and so pleased to meet you. And you are?”
Seth warned her his mother was a whirlwind of talk and motion but Lilly was still taken aback by her exuberant manner.
“Ma, this is Lilly, who I met in Chicago. She needed help and I came to her rescue, so to speak,” Seth said as he removed his hat, and pulled off his gloves.
“As you should, son.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Reagan, I…”
“Oh, a delightful Swedish lass! You’ll have to meet the Hamners, so you can enjoy some good Swedish conversation. Come in the kitchen. Your Da is home having
his afternoon coffee and biscuits.”
Seth smiled and shrugged his shoulders as Lilly was pulled through the door by his mother. Seth’s father was an older version of Seth with his auburn hair and features.
“Patrick, meet Lilly, Seth’s…” Mrs. Reagan caught sight of Seth’s wedding ring and she stopped talking, her mouth agape as she looked from her son to Lilly. No. No. They forgot to take off their rings!
“You got married?!” his mother plopped down on one of the kitchen chairs.
“Calm down, Ma, I married Lilly to help her escape a bad situation in Chicago.”
Lilly hastily added, “I answered a mail–order bride advertisement, but it turned out the man…” Lilly looked at Seth, not sure how they should explain her situation. What would his mother and father—a pastor for heaven’s sake—think of Seth finding her working in a saloon?
“Lilly worked in a textile mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts, that burned down in September. Many of the former workers decided their best option was to become mail–order brides. Lilly responded to a Grooms’ Gazette ad placed by a Chicago business owner. After they corresponded, the man sent Lilly a train ticket and she arrived the same day as I did, so we met briefly at the train depot before her escort showed up.
“But instead of wanting a wife, the man was wanting a singer and…uh ‘special hostess’…for his saloon. Turns out, he’d used this scheme to get other to his…establishment in the past.”
Lilly felt a deep blush creep up her neck to her hairline when Seth told his parents what she had stupidly walked into.
“She escaped from the saloon one night, and hid in a pen of horses in the middle of Union Stockyards. I found her and…” Seth stopped in mid–sentence. He almost said, brought her to my hotel room!
“Why did you go to the horses, dear?” Mrs. Reagan interrupted.
Lilly looked at Seth, but he waved his hand to go ahead and answer his mother’s question. “Seth said he was going to the Stockyards to look at the horses the next morning. I spent most of my life working on a stud farm in Sweden, so I felt safe hidden in a pen of mares.”
Lilly_Bride of Illinois Page 9
