She reached over and placed her hand on his forearm. “Urias, please. Can we at least talk with Thomas Hagins and see if we can barter with him?”
“Have you ever lived on the road?” he asked. He continued to ready the horse for travel.
“No,” she admitted. “I promise not to complain. Maybe it is my pride, but I resent what Father did last night. Besides, I need to leave this house, and our marriage gives me the opportunity to put distance between myself and my father.”
He couldn’t blame her there. If he’d been that man’s child, he’d be livid, too. Perhaps that’s why Prudence’s brother is staying with their uncle in Hardshell, Urias mused. “All right. You can come. And, yes, we’ll talk with Thomas Hagins. But if he won’t work a deal, you return home, and I’ll go to Jamestown to get the money needed. Agreed?”
“Thank you.”
He glanced down at her ladies’ heeled boots. “Do you have a more rugged pair of shoes?”
“No.”
“Is there a place nearby where we can purchase you a pair?”
“There’s a general store not too far from Thomas Hagins’s place.”
“Good.” He reached for her bag to fasten it to the horse’s saddle. “You’ll ride; I’ll walk. We’ll get farther that way.”
She nodded her agreement. Urias didn’t know if this was the makings of a contrite spirit or whether the wealthy young woman had always expected such favors. It didn’t matter; with those boots, they wouldn’t get far.
He hoisted her into the saddle. A bolt of awareness shot through him. For the first time, he realized this beautiful woman was his wife, and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it, one way or the other.
❧
Prudence sat mesmerized in the saddle. Urias’s touch had been so gentle and yet so full of power when he helped her up on the horse. If Father hadn’t forced them to get married, would something have developed between them? She contemplated that the entire five-hour journey to Thomas Hagins’s place. They talked little on the trip. For the most part, she just gave him directions. She didn’t know what to think of Urias. One minute he seemed warm and compassionate; the next he was distant—almost cold. They had to find a way to annul the marriage. No one should be forced to live like this.
Of course, that was what Kate’s life must have been like these many years—forced to live for the wishes of others. Forced to do things that were… Prudence stopped the thoughts. Kate had never said outright that she’d been abused by some of those who’d owned her bond. But something had happened to her—something that clearly made her feel unworthy to be considered equal with others.
Kate was why she was on this horse. Kate was the reason she’d stand up and give up her own life and her own happiness to save another from a life of servitude.
They walked up to the white-trimmed house of Thomas Hagins and knocked on the door.
“Miss Greene, what a pleasure to see you.” Thomas Hagins extended his hand.
Prudence accepted it. “It’s good to see you, Mr. Hagins. May I introduce my husband, Urias O’Leary?” Thomas Hagins’s eyebrows shot up as his eyes widened. Did everyone think she was unfit to be a wife? “Urias, Mr. Hagins.”
“Husband? My dear, it has been too long.” Thomas shook Urias’s hand.
“We’ve come to do business, sir. My wife and I would like to purchase some hogs to bring them to the Cumberland Gap. Prudence seems to believe there is a good profit there for a man.”
“She’s a right smart one. ’Tis true, I’ve made a dollar or two myself. Unfortunately, I no longer have the legs for the journey. Price is $1.25 per hundred pounds of hogs. How many do you want?”
“I’ve got a hundred on me, and I can leave my steed as a deposit. I was hoping you might be willing to let me purchase five hundred hogs and bring the money back to you after I return from the Gap.”
“I don’t know. That’s asking an awful lot.”
Prudence couldn’t help herself. “Mr. Hagins, I realize you don’t know my husband, but he is an honorable man.” After all, he married me. “If my father thinks enough of Urias to give my hand in marriage to him, that should speak for something.”
Thomas rubbed the day’s growth on his chin.
“Let me look at the horse.”
Urias looked up and winked. Prudence smiled. For the first time in her life, a man hadn’t put her down for speaking her mind.
“Fine-looking steed. I’d be interested in buying him for the purchase of the hogs.”
“He’s yours if I fail to return with the money. But I need him. If I could trouble you for a mule to help carry our packs, that would be mighty fine of you. I’d be willing to pay for the animal,” Urias offered.
“The horseflesh alone is worth more than the hogs. You’ve got yourself a deal, son.” Thomas and Urias shook on it.
The men worked out the details while Prudence worked out some food supplies for the road with Mrs. Hagins. Urias had given her back the money she’d given to him yesterday. The Haginses put them up for the evening. Urias slept on the floor and gave the bed to Prudence. Neither one of them was ready to make the marriage complete, but it still stung to realize she was not wanted by her own husband. Prudence silently cried herself to sleep for the second night in a row.
Five
Urias and Prudence woke early the next morning and ate the hot breakfast Mrs. Hagins had fixed for them. By six, they began herding the hogs toward the Cumberland Gap. Urias had spent the better part of the evening speaking with Thomas about hogs and how to best herd them. Before going to bed last night, he had fashioned a couple of willow switches to snap and prod the hogs forward.
By noon, they had covered only a couple of miles. At this rate, they wouldn’t make the gap before snowfall. Frustrated, he sat down to the meal Prudence had prepared. “Thank you,” he said, taking the offered dish from her hands.
“You’re welcome. I purchased a few things from Mrs. Hagins last night to make our travels more comfortable.”
“How are your feet?”
“I find the shoes quite comfortable. The two pairs of woolen socks seem a bit much, but I’m sure you’re right about blisters from new shoes if I don’t wear them.”
“You may still get them. You can sit on the burro if you need to.”
“Thank you. I’m all right.” She looked down at her plate. His heart tightened once again, knowing what this marriage was doing to her.
“Urias, we’re not moving fast enough, are we?”
“No, but I figure it will take a day or two to learn how to move the hogs forward.”
Her face brightened.
“Once we’ve got them on the path and moving at a good pace, we should make up for some of the lost time.”
“How long before we hit the Wilderness Road?”
“Three days—possibly four.” Urias finished off his meal. “Thank you.” He handed her the empty plate. “I’ll get the hogs moving while you clean up. They can feed along the way. There’s a fresh water stream that should help the hogs recover from the journey. They won’t eat much, but we don’t want them to lose too many pounds before we get there.
“I’ll keep my eye out for quail for dinner tonight. Do you like quail?” Urias asked.
“Yes. That would be nice. You’ll have to teach me some about cooking on an open fire. I know a little, but precious little, I’m afraid.”
Urias nodded. He couldn’t fault her for her upbringing, and he knew there were some folks who lived in cities who didn’t understand how to live off the land. But still, a woman should know how to cook. He thought back on his warm meal of beans with chunks of ham thrown in. She knows how to cook some things, he amended.
Urias picked up his long switch and started snapping it in the air above the hogs’ heads. Instantly, they started to move. Down and around the curvy mountain trail they traveled until, five hours later, they arrived at the clearing Thomas Hagins had recommended.
As he settled the hogs in
for the evening, he noticed Prudence silently making a campfire. The quail. He’d forgotten all about them. He’d been too focused on the swine and getting them to the field. He finished counting them and took off for the woods. With any luck, he’d find a couple quail before too long.
He examined the ground, looking for telltale signs of the bird. Generally, they nested on the ground. He looked for overturned leaves and scratching in the dirt. What he didn’t expect to see was the large set of tracks to his left.
He glanced back at the camp. They were vulnerable. He’d have to stay awake the night to be on guard.
❧
“Bear?”
“ ’Fraid so,” Urias answered.
She couldn’t believe her ears. He’d found bear tracks on the edge of the forest. “Won’t hogs be mighty tempting for them?” she asked.
“ ’Fraid so,” he repeated. “I’ll stay up most of the night and guard the herd.”
She should have been offended that he wasn’t thinking about guarding her, but she had to keep reminding herself this wasn’t a real marriage. He wasn’t a man who loved her. He loved his sister and had done whatever it took to get her free. “I’ll keep watch, too.”
“One of us should sleep.”
“I’ll watch the first shift, then wake you. You can watch the second half of the night.”
“How is your aim?” he asked.
“Fair. But the shot should be loud enough to hopefully send the bear running.”
“Or wake me. I’ll load the gun for you, then set up the tent for the night. Are you all set for dinner?”
“Yes. I’ll have the quail ready in an hour—possibly a little more.”
Urias nodded and left her to her own devices. She knew how to cook, but an open flame scared her. She’d been working overtime, trying not to complain or give Urias cause to send her back home. The truth was, her body ached in places she didn’t know she had. She’d always thought of herself as having good stamina, but this walking was pulling muscles in her legs, feet, and back. What she wouldn’t give for a warm bath.
She finished plucking the quail and set them on a stick she had braced over the fire, then removed her new shoes. Her feet needed to soak in the stream. Prudence yelped, not realizing just how cold the water had become.
“You all right?” Urias hollered from the edge of the woods.
“Fine,” she replied. The stream soothed her aching feet. At first, it felt like needles pricking her, but then her feet were numb to the cold. She stepped out and dried off her feet. What she wouldn’t give for a pair of satin slippers. Instead, she put on a pair of wool socks and walked back to the fire. She turned the quail and continued to make the area ready for a meal.
Urias returned with an armful of wood. “This should help keep the bears away. Would you like to practice with my rifle?” he asked. The Kentucky long rifle stood about as tall as Urias.
“If it wouldn’t be a bother.”
“Be happy to show you. The trick is in the balance of the barrel.”
She’d observed Urias for the better part of two days now, and she still couldn’t figure out the kind of man he was. He seemed kind but also easily riled. He spoke few words, but when he did, he tried to make pleasant conversation with her. What intrigued her most was his bringing her in on the discussions referring to the purchase of the hogs. No man had ever recognized any points she made regarding finances before.
After dinner, Urias spent a few moments helping her hold and aim the rifle. He showed her how to load and reload it. He even let her do it in front of him, without saying a word. By the time he settled in for the night, she decided he was, overall, a patient man. In her small world, that was a rare treasure.
The various sounds of the night critters kept Prudence awake. At midnight, she woke up Urias, then crawled into the still warm bedroll. His scent was on the blankets, and Prudence found herself inhaling the teasing fragrance. Sleep came quickly, and Prudence slipped into a deep rest.
The next morning, she and Urias worked better as a team. They each tended to their own chores and found themselves and the five hundred hogs on the road by six. At the end of four days, the rhythm of working together and moving the hogs became smooth. They found themselves at the end of another long day, sitting back and enjoying the stars.
“Prudence, forgive me for asking, but why do you think your father forced us to marry?”
Prudence let out a deep sigh. She’d been expecting this conversation for days. They’d been talking with each other, getting to know one another, but never saying anything deeply personal. “He sees me as an old maid who will never marry.”
“Why? You’re an attractive woman. You’re pleasant company. It doesn’t make sense.” Urias tossed the remains of his coffee from his cup.
“It’s me. I’m the real problem. I like talking finances, and most men feel a woman has no place in business nor the mind to discuss such things. Unfortunately, I’ve spoken a time or two when I shouldn’t have, embarrassing a few men by showing them their errors in calculations.”
Urias chuckled. It was the first time she’d heard him laugh. She decided she liked the sound of his laughter and would like to hear more of it.
“My mother—my adopted mother,” he corrected, “is very good with figures. In a way, you remind me of her.”
Prudence smiled. He’d spoken often about his parents, and the respect he held for them was obvious to anyone who had an ear to hear.
“My folks will help us figure a way out of this marriage.”
Shocked, Prudence blinked. She’d foolishly allowed herself to start falling in love with Urias. “We can have it annulled,” she said.
“How’s that work?”
“I’m not really sure, but I think we simply explain to a judge how we were forced to marry, that we never”—she felt the heat rise on her cheeks—“never had a true marriage, and the judge writes a letter of annulment.”
“Would that mean we were never really married?”
“I think so. But I’m not a lawyer, and I’ve never known anyone who has done it. A few years back, I heard about a marriage the parents had annulled after the kids ran off and married. They were both thirteen at the time. They lied about their ages, so the parents were able to dissolve the marriage.”
Something she’d been wrestling with was whether God considered them married. And if He did, were they free to have the marriage annulled? That would be something to discuss with the preacher one day.
“Truthfully, I don’t know what is right or wrong here. My folks will help us, I’m sure. But if we got this annulment, what would you do?”
“I’ll find a job or something. I couldn’t return home. Father would be mortified.”
Urias reached over and placed his hand upon hers. “I’ll make certain you’re cared for.”
Prudence changed the subject. “You best get some sleep. Morning is going to come quick.” In her heart, she longed to be cherished and cared for. But the man she would like to love her would never get past how they had been forced to be married. “Good night.” Prudence walked over to the herd of swine and made herself as comfortable as possible for the first watch. Lord, I’m so confused.
❧
Urias’s mind was filled with the possibility of an annulment. The four days on the road together had been pleasant enough, but they were not husband and wife. They didn’t love one another like his parents—or even his grandparents—loved each other. They weren’t even like his biological parents, who’d bickered all the time. We just…are. The only thing holding us together is the mission of procuring Katherine’s freedom.
He had to admit, though, Prudence had not complained once. She worked hard, followed his instructions, and provided security for the much needed rest. He looked out of the tent. Prudence sat, bent over, rubbing her feet, a silhouette painted by a slivered moon. It made no sense to him why any man wouldn’t want a wife like Prudence. Any man except him, that is. It was strange…in so ma
ny ways, she represented the kind of woman he would like to find in a wife. But the reality of how they married could never be blotted out of his mind or hers, he presumed. Why would she want to be bound to a man she’d been forced to marry? It was clear she’d been thinking about an annulment. He hadn’t given that idea any thought.
Prudence stood there shaking. Something was wrong. Urias bolted out of the tent. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” she sniffled.
He lit the lantern and could see she’d been crying. “Prudence, what’s the matter?” He trailed the light down her body. Her feet were cracked and bleeding. “You should have said something.”
Urias scrambled back to his pack and pulled out some horsetail, then ground the grassy herb into a poultice. He fetched some water from the stream and set the pot on the fire to warm it. “You’re riding all day—possibly the next couple of days—on the mule. It’s those new boots. I should have known better than insisting on new boots for a journey such as this.”
He cradled her feet into his lap and gently washed them. He applied a warm cloth and gently dried them.
“What are you doing?”
“Obviously, I’m washing your feet. Next I’ll apply the horsetail poultice and wrap them with clean linen.”
As he worked, he felt Prudence relax her muscles and let him apply the healing balm and wrap her feet in a clean, dry cloth. Once done, he took her in his arms and carried her to the tent. “You’re going to rest tonight. All night,” he insisted. “I’ll take care of breakfast. It won’t be as tasty as yours, but it’ll fill our bellies.”
“I’ll be all right,” she protested.
“Prudence, let me take care of you. It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done. We’ll be in Flatlick tomorrow. I have some friends there. I’ll treat you to a warm bath. And Mrs. Campbell is a fine cook.”
“Campbell? Aren’t they the folks who let you hide out in their barn? Isn’t that the same place you met your parents?”
Hogtied Page 4
