Alton turned to Vida, “By the way, where is Ulla? She’ll overhear us if we’re not careful.”
“I don’t know where she is. I figured she went on to work before we got up.”
“She never showed up at the store today.”
Vida shook her head. “That sorry good-for-nothing. She is sure trying my patience, but I’ll deal with her later.” She looked back at Colton. “There’s no need to fight me any longer. The wedding will take place tonight.”
He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he only nodded.
“Now that’s settled. Let’s eat, then handle this situation as soon as possible tonight.”
They stood and trooped into the dining room.
“When they were half way through the meal, Claudine looked at her mother. “Should we invite Ulla to the wedding?”
Her father looked at her. “If she’s not here, how can we?”
“I wonder where she could be?”
It was as if a sudden realization fell on Vida. “With all that’s going on, I completely forgot that I went into her room this morning. I found it empty, but she left a note.” Vida took it out of her pocket. “I was so upset with Claudine today, I didn’t read it. Maybe I should read it now.”
“Read it aloud, dear. We’re all curious.”
She nodded, ripped the letter open and began to read.
Dear Aunt Vida and Uncle Alton. When you get this letter, you will know that I’m gone. Since I have turned the store over to you, I can’t help giving you some advice in hopes that it will help you. First of all, you need to be careful as to how you run the business. I know your heart is not in Wingate’s General Store, but if you don’t take more of an interest, it will fail and you will be out of a way to make a living. Claudine is terrible at ordering and the stock is so low now that there won’t be nearly enough to supply the wagon train that will leave in a few weeks. Without Wilbur’s help, I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle things unless you work hard and find a way to replenish the supplies you will need to fill the orders. I’m only telling you this to let you know that if the store fails, unless you have the money yourself, there is nothing else to help you build it back up. I have made arrangements for my money to be transferred to the bank where I’ll be settling, so please do not think you can count on that to ease your financial woes.”
Vida looked up and her eyes showed her anger. “The nerve of her!”
“I agree, Vida,” Alton said, “but continue. She must tell us more than this.”
Vida raised an eyebrow, but she did continue.
As for me, I have met a widowed man with two children and he has asked me to marry him. I don’t love Colton and don’t want to marry him, so I have decided to marry this man and move away with him. I feel this is the best thing for all of us.
On another note, I know Colton and Claudine are in love and she is the one he should marry—and marry soon before something happens between them that they can’t change and will cause the family a lot of embarrassment.
Good luck to all of you.
Your niece, Ulla Wingate
“Do you mean we can’t get her money?” Alton said.
“That’s what the bitch says.” Vida’s mouth twisted into an ugly sneer.
Alton put his fork down. “I’m going to talk to the bank about that. It don’t seem right.”
“For heaven’s sake, Alton.” Colton jumped up. “She’s thrown me over for some bum with two children. I bet he only married her for that money. Money I was looking forward to and money that would help me leave this dump of a town forever.”
“You were going to leave me?” Claudine reached out and hit him in the side.
“Well, no.” He looked sheepish. “You could come with me.”
“Nobody’s going anywhere!” Vida shouted. She looked at the letter one more time. “When we came here I thought it would be easy to outsmart this little bitch, but it looks like it’s the other way around.”
“Maybe we can stop the marriage,” Alton suggested.”
Vida shook her head. “How?”
“Well, we could say she’s touched in the head.”
“Don’t be a fool. Do you think anybody in this town would believe us? She’s done business with them for years and they’d come to her defense in an instant.”
Alton looked lost. “Then what are we going to do, Vida?”
“The first thing we’re going to do is get Claudine and Colton to the preacher so they can get married tonight. After that’s taken care of, I suggest we go to the store and see what we can do about trying to save the business. Now finish eating and let’s get this night over with.”
They all looked at her, but nobody argued. Seldom did anyone argue with Vida.
~ * ~
The sun in the west hung low enough to leave the sky streaked in bright colors of red and gold with touches of purple. The wagons had circled where the scout had indicated they’d camp for the night. By the time the animals were unhitched, watered and fed and put in the corral formed by circling the wagons, the fire was blazing under the vegetable stew Ivy was stirring. Ulla had the biscuits in the Dutch oven ready to bury in the coals for baking.
Pete and Cord walked up and took two of the chairs hanging on the side of the wagon and set them beside the two already set up near where Joe and Becky were playing a game they’d carved in the dirt. Will sat on the ground near his sister.
He looked up and saw Cord. “Daddy.”
Cord looked at the little boy. “Yes, Will.”
Becky butted in. “Daddy, will you watch him? Joe and me want to go play with Springer.”
“Why don’t you bring Springer over here?” Cord asked.
Joe said, “Ma said we couldn’t bring him over here where the food is. I don’t know why.”
Pete grinned at them. “Go ahead and play with Springer, kids. Your pa and I’ll watch him while we attend to business.”
Becky and Joe ran to the Nettleton wagon and Ulla stood from burying her biscuits in the coals. “So you have business.” She walked over and took the vacant chair beside Cord.
“Mama!” Will cried. He left his daddy’s knees and ran to her with his hands held up. “Take.”
Ulla picked him up. “Sweetie, you sure are dirty. I’ll have to give you a quick wash before we eat.”
“Eat.”
“We’ll eat in a little while.”
He snuggled against her and nodded. She knew it was because he was sleepy, not because he agreed to what she’d said and was satisfied.
“All right, fellows,” Ivy sat beside her husband. “What’s this business you two have to handle?”
“It’s simple, honey. Cord and I decided we’d have something to bet on each day on this trip. One will choose what the bet will be in the morning and we’ll settle it in the evening.”
“Why in the world would you do that?”
“We thought it would keep us busy thinking up items to bet on. It will also give us something special to look forward to each night.”
Ulla looked at Cord. “What’s this big bet going to cost us if you lose every night?”
“Nothing big.” Cord reached over and patted her knee. “We plan to have a cigar after supper each night. The loser supplies the cigar.”
Ulla laughed. “Well, thank goodness, you won’t be spending all the family money gambling.”
“I agree,” Ivy said. “Now, what did you bet on today?”
“And who chose it?” Ulla asked.
“We bet on how long it would take our wagon to start rolling after the first one took off. Cord chose.”
“I said it’d take twenty minutes and Pete said it’d take ten. It actually took fifteen.”
Ivy turned her head. “So, for your first bet, it was even. I guess that means you’ll each supply your own cigars tonight.”
“That’s right.” Cord turned to Ulla. “See, I didn’t lose a dime of our family fortune.”
“I’m glad of that.
” She stood and plopped Will in his lap. “I think it’s time to get the biscuits out of the fire.”
“Great, I’m starving.” Pete looked at Ivy. “Your stew smells good, too, sweetheart.”
She chuckled. “Thanks, dear.”
Ulla uncovered the Dutch oven and removed the biscuits. She hoped everyone would like them. Especially Cord. Glancing at him, she almost frowned. He looked so stiff and uncomfortable with Will on his lap and she couldn’t help wondering why. He was often happy and playful with Becky, but so different with Will. This was something she was going to investigate. A father shouldn’t make a difference between his children. And knowing Cord was a fair and gentle man, it went against his character to be this way with Will. There had to be a reason and she wouldn’t rest until she found out what it was.
~ * ~
Three days after leaving Independence, Ulla sat on the wagon seat with Becky between her and Cord. Will was in her lap asleep. “Cord, I’ve been noticing that mountain in the distance. It looks strange and out of place here on the prairie.”
He nodded. “Mr. Pruitt said it’s called Blue Mound, but nobody knows why it cropped up out here. We’ll probably pause for a while for a rest when we get closer. He said some people like to climb it, but soon see that there’s nothing but prairie on the other side.”
“Can I climb up on top of it, Daddy?”
“I think not, Becky. We’ll just take advantage of the time to rest.”
She looked at Ulla. “Will you climb it with me, Mama?”
Ulla shook her head. “No, Becky. Daddy said no to your climbing it and I agree with him. We need to rest.”
Becky huffed and crossed her arms across her chest as she often did when she didn’t get her way, but she didn’t say anything else.
Cord looked across the top of her head and winked at Ulla.
She knew he was thanking her for backing him up on his decision to keep Becky off the hill. She gave him a slight nod and smiled. She decided to change the subject and see if Becky would join the conversation. “Ivy asked me to make biscuits again tonight. I hope you’ll enjoy them again.”
He nodded. “I sure will. Your biscuits were great. I think I could handle them every night. How about you, Becky. Do you like Mama’s biscuits?”
She nodded, but didn’t answer.
“How far do you suppose we’ve come, Cord?”
“Mr. Pruitt said we’d probably average fifteen or sixteen miles a day. Could even make twenty on a good day.” He laughed and added, “Since we’ve been gone three days and haven’t had any trouble so far, that’ll be about fifty miles or so.”
Ulla laughed, too. “You read my mind. I was about ready to figure it in my head.”
“I guessed that.”
Before she could answer, a piercing scream filtered to them. It was followed by several other screams as the wagons began to slow down and come to a halt.
Becky grabbed her father’s arm. “Who was that?”
Cord was pulling back on the reins, stopping the mules and didn’t answer.
Ulla reached over and patted her arm. “We’ll find out in a minute, sweetheart. I just hope nobody’s hurt.”
Becky turned to her and snuggled close. “Me, too.”
Ulla put her arm around Becky. “Why don’t we say a prayer that whatever happened won’t be a bad thing?”
Will began to wake up and wiggled in Ulla’s lap. She pulled him close to her chest. “It’s fine, sweetheart.”
He grinned and looked at Becky.
She reached over and squeezed his leg. “We’ll be fine, Will. Mama will take care of us while Daddy is busy.”
Mr. Pruitt rode beside the wagons waving his hat, giving them the motion to stop as quickly as they could. Ulla would have liked to ask him what was going on, but she knew it wasn’t the time. She’d have to be patient.
Cord set the brake on the wagon and glanced at her. “Stay in the wagon with the children and I’ll see what I can find out.”
She nodded.
“Can I go with Daddy?’
“No, Becky. It could be dangerous. You have to wait here with Will and me.”
She turned to her father, who was climbing out of the wagon. “I want to go with you, Daddy.”
Cord glanced at Ulla, paused and shook his head. “Becky, there’s no need to ask me if I’ll let you come when your mama has said you must stay here. Listen to her and I’ll be back soon.”
Ulla wanted to smile, but she wouldn’t let herself. Cord had backed her the way she did him. This was going to work. Soon Becky would learn she couldn’t pit one parent against the other, trying to get her way.
The air on the prairie was still and hot. Ulla would have liked to climb down from the wagon, but after refusing to let Becky, she knew she had to sit still, too.
Becky looked up at her. “What happened, Mama?”
“I don’t know, honey. Maybe your daddy will be back soon and he can tell us.”
“I hope so. I’m hot.”
“Me, too.”
“Why don’t we get down?”
Ulla shook her head. “We need to wait here. I’m sure your father will be back soon.”
“When will he get here?”
“Soon, but … Oh, I see him coming now.”
When Cord reached them, the somber man climbed back to the wagon seat. “There was an accident. Mr. Pruitt said we were going to go ahead and stop here for the day because by the time Dr. Guggenheim gets through with the patient, it’ll be time to stop anyway.”
“Maybe we can still climb that mountain there.” Becky’s voice was hopeful.
He shook his head. “No, Becky. We all have to stay near the wagon today.”
“I bet Kathleen would climb the mountain with me. Can I go see?”
“Not today.”
Becky turned toward Ulla and started to say something, but changed her mind when Ulla shook her head. Becky crossed her hands on her chest and didn’t say anything more.
Ulla figured it was because she could tell her father was upset and didn’t want to push the idea of climbing the mountain any further. She turned to Cord and asked in a calm voice, “What happened, Cord?”
“The Kingston boy decided to climb off the wagon while it was moving. He got his foot caught and fell.”
Though his actions told her he didn’t want to talk about it, she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Is he hurt badly?”
“The wagon ran over his leg.”
Ulla put her hand to her cheek. “Oh no. Is it broken?”
“Worse.” He gave her a look that said he didn’t want to say anything more in front of Becky.
Ulla nodded and muttered, “I’m sorry.”
After circling the wagons, Cord took Will then helped Ulla and Becky to the ground. Handing Will back to Ulla he said, “Stay close to the wagon while I take care of the animals. I won’t be long.”
She nodded. “Come along, Becky. I need to dry Will and you can help me.”
“Mama,” Becky said as she handed Ulla a diaper, “why is Daddy mad?”
“Oh, sweetie, your father isn’t mad. He’s just upset.”
“Why?”
“I suppose it’s because he saw how badly the Kingston boy was hurt.”
“I don’t understand.”
Ulla took a deep breath and wondered what words she should use to satisfy Becky’s curiosity. “I guess it’s because he was thinking how terrible it would be if you or Will had an accident and was hurt.”
Becky looked up at Ulla. “He’d rather Will got hurt than me.”
Ulla was shocked, but tried not to show it. “Why in world would you say such thing, Becky? I’m sure your father loves you both very much.”
Becky shook her head. Her voice was matter of fact when she said, “He loves me a whole lot more than he loves Will.”
~ * ~
Cord stopped cold when he heard his daughter’s declaration. He’d staked the cow outside of the ring so she could g
raze until time to milk her this evening. He then decided to return to tell Ulla not to talk about the accident to Becky until he got back from unhitching the mules and taking them down to the corral made by the circled wagons. He felt it was his place to impress on her how dangerous this trip could be if children didn’t obey their parents and he wanted to do it in a way that wouldn’t scare his child.
Now he waited to see what Ulla would say to Becky’s declaration.
Ulla’s voice was soft and gentle when she said, “I have no doubt that your father loves you very much. Who wouldn’t love a sweet little girl like you? Why, I’ve only been your mother for a few days and I love you already.”
“Do you love me better than Will?”
“Can I tell you a secret, Becky?”
Cord’s heart seemed to skip. Was Ulla actually going to admit to loving Becky more that Will or was it the other way around?
“Yes, Mama.”
“This is a secret that a mama and a daddy never let their children know. It has been around since Adam and Eve had their sons.”
“What is it?”
“Mamas and daddies have a secret way of letting each one of their children think that they love them more than any of their other brothers and sisters in the family. It doesn’t matter if there are only two children, like there is in your family, or if the family consists of a dozen children. That’s why you think your daddy loves you better than he does Will. When Will gets older, I’m sure he’ll think his daddy loves him the best.”
Cord could almost see Becky thinking over what Ulla was saying. So was he. He’d known form the beginning that the woman was smart, but until this moment, he hadn’t realized how smart. Of course, he knew he loved Becky more, but he couldn’t help it. There was no doubt that Becky was his child and there was a lot of doubt about Will. No man could love another man’s offspring as much as he loved his own. But how about a woman?
It then dawned on him that Ulla hadn’t given birth to either of these children, yet she did seem to love them both. And love them equally. Would this be true if she had a child of her own?
Becky’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “You love me, don’t you?”
“Oh, Becky. Come here and let me hug you. I don’t want you to ever think I don’t love you because if you think that, you’re very wrong. I love you with all my heart. It doesn’t matter if your father and I have a bunch of other children someday, you’ll always be my special daughter.”
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