by J. R. Biery
Claire heard the stomp and snicker of horses just outside her wagon. Quickly she stood to dress. Mary Anne was already gone. Mother turned back from her listening post and began to get ready as well.
Dressed, Claire climbed out of the wagon and looked up in surprise at the mounted troopers behind them. Several tipped their hats and smiled at her and Claire brushed her frizzy blonde hair back from her face. She was torn between going back to brush and braid it and finding her friend.
The other wagons of the larger train were going to clear out first. She waved good morning to the twins walking back with the oxen and she watched Father Wimberley and Henry Lambton yoking the teams.
Claire sidled around the wagon and up behind Bonnie. Somehow the tall girl knew she was there and held her hand behind her back for Claire to grab her fingers.
“Figure if the Lieutenant is going to make it, he’ll need some nursing,” the sergeant said.
“Don’t worry, we’ll assign a couple of men to stay behind so he doesn’t have to return to camp alone. Figure maybe if they follow your wagons on in, they can take the train back to Fort McPherson. Only going to be another week or so,” the corporal added.
“Three weeks,” Bonnie said.
“Really, that long,” the corporal said as he scratched his head. The sergeant elbowed him.
“Probably take about that long for them cattle to make it at that. Reckon the Lieutenant there ought to be fit as a fiddle time he gets back to headquarters, what with all that rest and recreation,” the corporal said with a grin.
The sergeant was scowling and shaking his head and Bonnie wondered what the two men were up to. But Calum moaned and she forgot everyone else as she climbed back into the wagon and bent to wipe his face with a cool cloth.
Claire watched as the two men grinned at each other. The sergeant turned to the mounted men and their moaning prisoner. “Hey, you two pups fall out,” he jabbed a thumb at them, but the Magee boys already spurred their horses out of line.
“Boys, your orders are to keep an eye on the Lieutenant. When you see he’s fit enough, you’re to bring him back to headquarters. Just ride up to the track and signal the train. They know to stop for military. They’ll bring you all three back to the Fort.”
Shawn started to argue, but Ian shot him a look and Shawn swallowed the words. “Yes, sir, Sergeant. You can count on us, sir, I mean Sergeant.”
The corporal rode to the head of the line, the two scouts grinned and waved and soon the whole platoon was out of sight.
Bonnie looked out at her puzzled brothers. “Well, if you’re to stay with us, best earn your keep. Help Tom and Jim with the oxen. I’d ask you to keep your eyes peeled for something to shoot for the dinner pot, but following all that ruckus ahead of us, it will be no use today and probably the next. Go on with you.”
Claire boosted herself up to look inside at where the tall Lieutenant was stretched out under Bonnie’s watchful gaze. “Do you two need anything?” Claire asked.
Bonnie shrugged, “If you were to drive this wagon, then I could tell you when we need water or food. He’s too hot and feverish right now. I’ve been trying to keep him sponged and cooled off.” Claire looked indecisive. Bonnie said, “Well, that would make it easier for me.” She stared at her friend’s clean cheerful face. Took in the wild, unbound hair.
Claire blushed as she tried to squeeze it in her hands to stay down. “At least Mother got the mud out of it. I was rushing, in case you needed me and I thought I needed to make breakfast.
“Mary Anne passed out tinned biscuits and jerky earlier. There was time, but your Father didn’t want us to wake you or your mother,” Bonnie said.
Henry Lambton appeared in front of her and Claire looked down at the ground, too embarrassed to speak after last night. Henry looked equally unsure as he stored the tent pegs and poles and made room for the canvas whenever the boys and their dogs finished pulling and folding it. The Magee brothers stepped in and she heard them giving directions to the younger boys on how to fold and store a tent correctly. Henry looked in their direction and smiled.
He looked into the wagon at the unconscious soldier. “Still no change?”
Bonnie shook her head. “No, but Claire said she would drive this wagon to be on hand to help me.”
Henry turned to acknowledge her presence for the first time. He saw her wild head of hair and smiled instead.
Minutes later he was handing her up onto the wagon seat as Ian and Shawn Magee galloped back to peek into the wagon. Claire wasn’t surprised when the boys stopped beside Henry. “Bonnie said we’re to drive the oxen while you and Claire ride and help keep an eye on the Lieutenant. Not sure what that means, but we’re ready.”
Claire smiled at the two boys, recognizing Bonnie in their features despite their blue eyes. “The twins can show you,” Henry and Claire said at the same time. The boys each had soft red mustaches and she smiled as they finger combed them until Tom and Jim ran up. Each was excited to have the job of training the older boys and soon they were pulling into their place in line.
Claire felt twitchy with energy. After the last few weeks where she had taken Bonnie’s job, she was used to being busy. She hadn’t cooked this morning and she wouldn’t have to walk along beside the oxen trying to keep up. For a minute, she couldn’t tell where to put her hands and her feet kept moving inside the wagon box with each turn of the wheel like imaginary strides beside the wagon.
“I guess I need to get my comb and mirror and do something with my dreadful hair. Everyone is staring at it and trying not to laugh.”
“No need,” Henry reached behind the bench to fumble around before dropping a small wooden box on her lap. Claire felt a chill sweep up her spine, but then curiosity won and she pushed the little enameled star on the clasp and it opened. Inside, as she had feared, was something of Bella’s. A small, beautiful vanity set rested against a molded red velvet lining, each piece carefully secured in its own snug little space.
She should have handed it back immediately. Didn’t he realize how personal something like this was? Bella would have opened and used it each morning and evening. Silver, with beautiful inlays of blue enamel bands and a bold yellow star in the center, it was obvious it was an expensive gift from her parents. Like Claire’s own had been when she was ten. Mother had given her a set for her birthday. From that day on, she was expected to comb and arrange her own hair, and she had. Unless she were sick or had a bad day, then her mother would use Claire’s comb and brush and mirror to groom her hair for her.
Claire lifted the brush, removed one strand of raven black hair that was long enough to have reached Bella’s waist. The woman had always worn her hair in a severe bun, or like the night at the St. Louis hotel, in a braided chignon. Instead of dropping it, Claire wound the dark hair in a tight circle around the base of the silver handle. Shivering, forcing herself to smile, she brushed at her own wild tangle of hair.
When she had one side smooth, she brushed the other. She had just lowered the brush when James Temple trotted up beside the wagon. Claire tried to pretend to be unaware of his presence or of Henry’s beside her as she carefully and deliberately used the small silver comb to part off six sections. Winding the first, she used one of the pins she’d found in a round silver box to secure it, then wound the next section.
James spoke. “Never watched a woman do up her hair before. That’s quite a chore, ain’t it?”
Claire finished the third section and lifted the fourth to wind and pin. “Not really. Good morning, James.”
“Morning,” Henry said.
“Yeah, reckon it’s going to be another scorcher. At least them Army fellows caught those felons, heard they killed one of them,” James said.
Claire waited, she had heard Henry tell Bonnie last night that he had killed a man. Henry remained silent.
“See the army left a couple of the young ones behind. Don’t see what kind of help they will be for us, if we’re attacked by Indians again,” Jam
es said.
Claire looked past Henry to see Ian looking coldly at their visitor. Claire coughed as she closed the case and handed it to Henry to return to its hiding place. As he turned around, he brushed against her. Claire felt more annoyed than before, but she used Bonnie’s trick of acting charming to conceal it. Smiling, she introduced Ian to James and vice-a-versa. “Ian and Shawn are Bonnie’s brothers.
“Yeah, well, I rode up to make sure you were safe. We heard a lot of rumors and, well those were desperate men.”
“I’m fine, Bonnie is fine, the Lieutenant is unconscious from his gunshot wound. We were lucky that the Lieutenant was standing guard.” She shivered. “It was a terrifying experience.”
“Kind of odd, that’s all. You and your friend out skinny dipping late at night, with two men just keeping watch, don’t you see. Now I told Leray, Mrs. Raglon and the other ladies…,”
Claire’s cheeks flamed red. Henry noticed even her neck was pink. He also noticed there were soft little blonde curls forming at the edges of her hair already. Henry tried not to smile, just felt grateful to not be James Temple.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Claire stood and Henry reached up to pull her back down, but she gave him such a look that he merely held his breath and hoped that the gentle motion of the oxen would continue. Without touching her, he sat ready to catch her if necessary.
“James Temple, you and all the nasty minded gossips can stop spreading rumors. First, we were not bathing nude but in our undergarments. Second, during a cloudy night when all the ne’er do wells are asleep is the only safe time for a woman to bathe on the trail. Third, if it were not for these gentlemen running to rescue us, there is no telling what horrors would have befallen us.”
“Well, never heard of anyone doing it before, and we’ve been on the trail for three months with you.”
Claire hesitated, unsure how to counter his argument without lying. As the wagon hit a rut she swayed and quickly sat back down so that she was eye level again with her accuser. “It was the first opportunity I had, where there was a private pool, a cloudless night, and my good friend back to chaperone me. Also, we knew with the soldiers on guard near the wagons, we would not have to worry about the Indians, but could focus on just getting clean.”
“Just seems hard to believe that those two men just happened to be standing nearby, that’s all. And Leray Raglon told me he saw Henry Lambton carrying you in his arms, and what you were wearing barely covered anything.”
“Leray Raglon has been telling tales ever since he and his mother joined the train. None of it has been true and these lies about last night are the same. I had on my gown and wrapper. My father and Henry took turns carrying me back while Bonnie walked along with the doctor and soldiers carrying Lieutenant Douglas.”
“Well, folks want to know what kind of people would let their daughter carry on like this with a widowed man.”
Claire let out a squeal and stood upright again. Suddenly three riders approached and surrounded James. Henry rose, trying to balance as well as Claire had and pushed her gently down onto the bench beside him.
“If they want to know that, they’d better ask me,” Father said.
Tom and Jim ran back toward the argument and all the following wagons began to slow to a stop as their drivers strained to listen to the shouting match.
“There has been nothing improper between myself and Miss Wimberley,” Henry said.
“Neither will there be,” said Father Wimberley.
Both men ignored the wagon master, too busy glaring at each other to pay attention to anything else.
“Well, I know you’ve been sparking every eligible woman on this train, already looking for a replacement for your wife. People heard you and your wife fighting plenty of times, so don’t make out that you’re spending all your time grieving,” James said.
The angry men who were mounted pushed even closer. “What are you all crowding me for?” James yelled.
“We don’t like our friend’s name bandied about by low-life’s and scoundrels. Smells like you might need to take a bath more than once a year, yourself.” Ian said as he let his horse bump against the gray of James.
“Stop crowding me. I’ve got friends too, you know.”
Bonnie stood behind Claire and put a hand on her other shoulder. She could not remember ever seeing her friend look angrier. “I doubt it,” Bonnie muttered. “You won’t have many if you go spreading lies about an innocent girl.
James backed his horse into the clear and started back toward his wagon when he stopped and gave one last yell. “Well, it still seems funny, those two being on hand like that.”
Henry jumped down from the wagon and ran down his side of the wagon to catch the bridle of the gray horse. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I heard a shot fired. I haven’t slept well since my wife died and the noise woke me. I climbed out of bed to answer a call of nature when I heard horses running, it sounded like toward the river. I heard a woman scream and thought it sounded like Claire so I ran down to the noise. You’ll have to wait until he’s well enough to answer your impertinent questions, but I’m sure since he was on patrol, Lieutenant Douglas responded to the sounds the same way I did.”
“You just happened to have a gun with you?”
“Since the Indian raid when my wife was killed, yes, I always have a gun with me.”
James snorted with contempt and stared at Henry.
Henry turned bright pink. “And another thing, I am not pursuing all of the women on this wagon train. Several have called on me, letting me know they would welcome my attentions. They came with baked goods and inquired as to my health and invited me to call on them. I think I’ve visited two, but merely to be polite.”
All of Claire’s defenders had followed Henry and now Bonnie spoke. “Maybe if you understood the difference between a decent woman and a trollop, you might interest them yourself. Maybe, some of those women would make you a pie. Maybe, if you pleased them, they might offer you more.”
Kaye Raglon scowled at Bonnie and Claire, who was now standing beside her. “Not going to beard the she-dog if she’s got her whole pack about her.”
“I always have my family and friends with me. They were there last night too.” Claire answered, advancing toward the instigator of the rumors. “I know they are always prepared to defend me and my honor. If you had paid attention, you would have noticed they were there last night as well.”
The woman had the decency to back down and Claire walked back toward the wagon, still flushed. She stood trembling between Bonnie and Mother while the men and boys who had rushed to her defense stood watching. For a moment, there was silence as her lips mirrored the war of her emotions. Finally, she raised her chin, eyes sparkling with unshed tears. She clutched the hands of the women beside her, accepted a hug from Mary Anne, and then smiling, stepped back.
“I’m good. I just need to walk for a minute. Thank you all. It is overwhelming to have your love and support. These ignorant people, they don’t really matter. But your respect is very important to me.”
“Good.” Father stepped behind her and Mother, and extended his arms to hug both women. “But we’ve got to get this wagon train in motion. Everybody ready?”
The Magee brothers rode back into position, Mary Anne was lifted back up beside Mother Wimberley and Father rode up to the front of the wagon train. Bonnie gave her a last hug and returned to her duty watching over Calum.
Henry called Ian over. In minutes he rode off on his bay, Sue, and Ian’s horse ran behind the wagon beside Calum’s stallion.
Henry rode after Father Wimberley, leaving the young soldier riding in the front of the wagon. The last thing Claire needed was to share a seat with a Don Juan widower. Although the idea of being seen as a Casanova of any kind made him laugh. He knew it would have amused Bella. She had finally given up on the shy man and asked him out to dinner. The thought of her, her constant jealousy made him slow his horse.
He p
aced beside the wagon of Faye Brewer, receiving glowers from her Father as well. Was it because he was seen as some sort of a lecher, or was it because he had publicly revealed it was the women who were the pursuers? After tipping his hat to the girl, he finally posted on ahead past two more wagons.
At least Father Wimberley had the wagon train once again moving at a good pace. He tried not to, but as they approached a bend in the road, Henry looked back toward the girl who was on his mind. Claire strode along, not as easily as Bonnie had always walked, but rapidly enough with her short little strides to keep up with the oxen.
Ian must have said something, because the girl turned in surprise to see him riding on the bench. As Henry watched, she dipped her head and accepted the soldiers help in mounting the moving wagon. Relieved, Henry tried to put her out of his mind. The young man was no threat to her, the Magee brothers had been raised to consider Claire as another sister. But the Irish lad would soon have her mood lifted with his silly stories and maybe a song
Grimly, Henry faced forward, saw Claire’s father check his horse on the trail to wait for him. This was a conversation he didn’t look forward to having.
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“You did great, even Lynne couldn’t have faced down that bounder and that old harridan better. What happened to my timid little princess?” Bonnie asked.
Claire laughed as she helped turn the meat in the skillet. Ahead she watched the Wimberleys sharing the seat with Mary Anne wedged between them, busily working on making lace. Of all the members in the party, including Henry, the little girl seemed to miss Bella and Barney the most. Did she work so hard at her tatting to remember or to forget?
“Princess, I don’t think I was ever…,” Claire protested. But Bonnie shrugged, then nodded. Claire laughed, then grew quiet again. “I think I finally had to grow up when you were kidnapped and then we lost Bella and Barney. One can’t be precious and spoiled when other people are depending on you to help with the work.”
