“Well, of course,” Eliza smiled and placed her hand gently on Ruth’s. “I might not have had the bad luck that seems to be following you, but I am on the same mission as you: to become a mail-order bride.”
“You are?” Ruth was astounded. “But how come? Why would you?” Then she realized she might have overstepped her boundaries. “Oh, I do apologize! I didn’t mean any offense or disrespect or anything of the sort.”
“Oh, it’s perfectly alright,” Eliza laughed sincerely. “Truth be told, when I say it out loud, it doesn’t seem to be akin to me, but here I am, traveling to meet my future husband. And, don’t tell anyone,” she whispered slyly, “But I couldn’t be happier.”
The women burst out laughing.
“That makes me really happy. Honestly, it does,” Ruth said, as the baby nestled more comfortably in her arms. “It gives me hope that my life will also turn out all right, even though I was dealt a bad set initially.”
“I’m sure it’ll all work out for the best, Ruth,” Eliza said confidently. “You know that the good Lord always has a plan for us, even though we might not realize what exactly it is.”
Her warmhearted speech was cut short by the train’s sudden stop in what appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. People in the corridor started voicing their dissatisfaction at this unusual and unnecessary rest stop.
“What is the meaning of this?” someone yelled. A round of voices joined in. The two women looked at each other worryingly.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Eliza said, trying to calm them both. “They’re probably just checking for something on the train. I’m sure we’ll continue on in no time.” She even managed to smile, though she knew that stops like this were never a good sign.
Suddenly, there was a gunshot, causing both women to jump up from their seats. They were silent in disbelief for a while.
“Eliza, what’s going on?” Ruth asked, though she knew that Eliza knew as little as she did.
“Stay where you are, Ruth. I’m sure it’s just the machine and not a gunshot. It couldn’t be.” Eliza felt like she was about to have a panic attack, but she knew she needed to remain calm for them both.
A storm of people rushed past them panicky and scared, as if forced to do so by some yet unseen force. A loud, manly voice was heard giving orders. The women could hear it approaching until a robust man slid open their glass door and peered in.
“And you two? What are you waiting for? Go with the rest of ’em,” he ordered. They knew they had to obey. Blindly following the crowds of people, they found themselves in chaos, everyone running like cattle. When they finally reached the dining car, they were told to stay put.
From the opposite entrance, another man joined them and several more with pointed guns surrounded the helpless group of people.
“Good day, y’all!” The man seemed to be in a cheerful mood. “Mighty fine day, ain’t it?” He cocked his cowboy hat as if greeting everyone. “I truly am sorry for the way you were handled, but see here, we’re a cowboy gang.” A few gasps were heard.
“Manley Hunt’s the name, and robbin’ my game.” Some of his men laughed. “Now, I’d really hate to hurt any of ya’ nice folk here, but if you make me, I promise that y’all be mighty sorry.”
As Eliza looked at him, she couldn’t help but feel rage. Who did this man think he was to stop the train to rob everyone?
“All we want are your valuables. If you’d be nice enough to take off all of your jewelry, wallets, pocket watches and anything else I missed, I’d be mighty grateful.” His voice roared merrily as his men took out bags and started packing all of the valuable items the passengers had on them.
“Now, see here, young man!” Suddenly, a voice was heard from the crowd. “I didn’t fight in the war for this fine country only to be treated like this.” All of the cowboys looked in the direction the voice was coming from. “If you think you shall take my dear late wife’s wedding ring that I carry around my neck on a chain, you will be taking it from my cold, dead hand!” A man stepped from out the crowd, boldly facing the ruffians. He was an old man, much too old to be talking this way to a gang of young cowboys.
“That can be easily arranged, my good man,” Manley Hunt said quickly, drawing out his gun and shooting the man dead in a matter of seconds. It caught everyone off guard. The dead man’s body lay prostrate on the floor in a pool of its own blood. “Do as you were instructed, boys.” He finished. “Anyone else feel like playing the hero?” The entire group was silent.
In a matter of minutes, all of the people were stripped of of their valuables, feeling exposed, vulnerable and, most of all, frightened for their lives.
“Much obliged,” Manley Hunt concluded. “Now, we’ll be taking off, my boys ’n’ me. We thank ya’ for your cooperation in this matter.” Another round of laughter was heard as the cowboys rounded up to leave. Suddenly, there was more commotion from outside, as if the cowboys were being joined by more of their fellow mob members.
Eliza squeezed Ruth’s hand and whispered into her ear.
“Whatever happens, don’t let go of my hand, you hear?” Ruth silently nodded, squeezing Eliza’s hand, while firmly holding her baby with the other.
“Manley Hunt!” A rough voice was heard yelling from outside the train car. “We’ve got you surrounded!” Hidden by a curtain, Manley looked at his men and then out the window.
“Dammit! It’s the sheriff,” he hissed. “How the hell did he get out here so fast?”
“We better get outta here, boss,” another man spoke up. “We’ve got the stuff. Let’s scram through the back door.”
“Dammit,” Manley hissed again, then rushed toward the door that led to the rest of the train. But before he did, he reached out and pulled on the first person that he laid his eyes on: Ruth.
“No!” Eliza yelled. “Leave her be!”
Manley cocked his gun and aimed it straight at her.
“Now, look here, missy!” He growled angrily. “I’m not in the habit of shootin’ women, but this here’s a situation, and if you don’t let go of her hand, I’m gonna pull this trigger here. Your choice, but do hurry up. I ain’t got all day!”
Eliza looked at him with hatred and squeezed Ruth’s hand even stronger.
“Take her!” Ruth pushed her baby into Eliza’s hands, making Eliza let go of her own hand in order not to drop the little one. Several of the other men followed suit with hostages of their own.
Squeezing the baby in her arms, Eliza watched with tears in her eyes as Ruth along with several other young women were dragged away by this band of criminals. People around her remained motionless, hoping and praying that the voice coming from outside really did belong to the sheriff and that it was simply a matter of time before they were all safe and sound again. No one dared look out the window, though many wanted to.
All that was heard were muffled voiced, horses galloping and gun shots. Once it all died down, the people remained equally silent and immobile.
“We oughtta go out and see what’s going on,” someone from the crowd whispered. Many agreed, but no one wished to be the guinea pig because there was a possibility of the cowboys overpowering the sheriff and his men.
Eliza suddenly jerked up, elbowed her way through the crowd angrily and headed toward the door leading outside. Once she found herself facing it, she took and deep breathe and pushed on the lever. The door opened up, and before her was a sight that contained several dead bodies and a few men hovering over them.
“Hey lady, this ain’t no sight for you,” someone shouted at her.
“What’s going on?” she asked, disregarding the rude comment.
“Go back inside. We’ll come get ya’ in a second.” The man gestured for her to go back inside.
“Not until we know we’re safe,” she replied stubbornly, pressing the still slumbering child in her arms.
“Everything’s gonna be fine. We caught the fella. Now go back inside.”
This time she obeyed. Sh
e conveyed the message to everyone inside the dining car and told them to be patient. What worried her was the fact that Ruth was nowhere to be seen. She rushed back to the door.
“I need to know what happened to the hostages,” she yelled at the same man.
“What?” He was too far away to hear her.
“The hostages!” she yelled even louder.
Seeing there was no other way to get rid of her, the man approached her.
“What can I help you with, Ma’am?” he asked, more politely this time.
“What happened to the hostages? My friend was taken away,” she started talking frantically.
“What was her name?”
“Ruth Rigdon.”
The man whipped out a little notepad and started tracing the names with his finger.
“Nope, no Ruth Rigdon. You sure that’s her name?” he inquired.
“Of course I’m sure,” Eliza retorted angrily. But then she thought it was possible that Ruth Rigdon was a pseudonym. After all, Ruth really did have a tough life and was trying to get away from it. Wasn’t it possible, if not probable, that she would change her name in an effort to change her life and entire identity?
“Ma’am?” The man looked at her, concernedly.
“What happened to them?”
“A few women were hurt in the process, but they were immediately taken to a few of the nearest hospitals. One wouldn’t be able to handle them all. So your friend is either one of them or one of the ones who were lucky to get out with a few scratches.”
“Where are they?” she asked. He pointed with his finger to the left. Eliza stuck out her head from out the train and saw a small group of young women gathering around a few men who seemed to be asking them questions.
Unfortunately, none of those women were Ruth.
“Is she there?” the man asked.
“No.” Eliza was heartbroken, left with Ruth’s baby and almost no way of finding where Ruth ended up. Eliza knew explaining this story to Ambrose would be far from a walk in the park.
When this nightmare journey finally ended at her designated destination, Eliza had mixed feelings. She was happy to finally be meeting Ambrose, but how would she explain why she arrived with a baby?
Upon seeing him at the station, she smiled and waved. He appeared confused at first, not knowing why this lovely young woman with a child would be waving at him.
“Ambrose?” Eliza asked shyly.
“Yes?” He was still confused.
“It’s me, Eliza.” She smiled.
A look of recognition shone on his face, but it was immediately substituted by even more puzzlement as he looked at the still-slumbering bundle in her arms.
“You wouldn’t believe what happened to us,” she started to explain.
“I’ve heard. A gang of ruffian cowboys overtook the train. Our sheriff was one of the first men on the scene. Are you all right?” He took her free hand in his.
“I am. Thank you. I just want this whole nightmare to be over.”
“It’s already over, dear Eliza. But, forgive me, I must ask … ” He tried to choose the right words to express himself.
“Oh, the baby.” She smiled nervously. “It’s a long story, one I’d love to share with you. It has to do with the train and the cowboys, and unfortunately, it’s still not over,” she said mysteriously.
“What do you mean?” He was perplexed. “Is the baby yours?”
“Oh, heavens, no!” She laughed for the first time in what felt like a decade. “This little sweetheart isn’t mine. I guess you could say I’m keeping an eye on her until we find her mother.”
“We?”
“I was hoping you’d help me, Ambrose. Her mother is somewhere out there, lost. I have some ideas on how to get in touch with her, but I need your help.” Her eyes pleaded.
“Of course I’ll help,” he said reassuringly. “But for the time being, let’s get you home.” He took her by the hand and escorted her to his carriage. Not long afterwards they were sitting inside his big house drinking tea while a special dinner was being prepared.
“So you say this woman, Ruth, or whatever her real name is, would be at one of the surrounding hospitals?” he asked as Eliza was finishing her story about how she met Ruth and ended up with Ruth’s baby.
“Exactly. I know it’s a short time to get to know someone, but I felt a real connection to Ruth. Whoever she is, I know she is a good, kind person who, right now, is missing her daughter terribly, not knowing what happened to her or where she is.”
“Yes, of course. It is our duty as Christians, after all, to help one another out,” He said.
“Oh, Ambrose!” Suddenly, Eliza started crying.
“What on earth is the matter, sweet girl?” he asked, confounded.
“Oh, nothing.” She sniveled, and he offered her his monogrammed handkerchief. “I just feel so fortunate to have found you. And what’s more, the first time when you see me, I’m bearing a child. You have no idea how afraid I was. She hid her face in her hands.
“Afraid of what, Eliza? You haven’t done anything wrong to be afraid of.” He caressed her cheek gently as he tried to console her.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me that the baby isn’t really mine,” she replied shyly.
“Why on earth would I do that?” He seemed surprised. “You have left everything for me: your home, your family, all those who love you. What kind of a man would I be if I had treated you like a liar from the first time I saw you?” His words soothed her. He knew exactly what to say to make her feel better, to reassure her that everything was all right with the world.
He took her hands in his. “I don’t know how strongly you feel about me,” he started a little nervous, “and I don’t wish to rush things between us. But, for my part, I am yours. You have won me over with your sweet kindness and generosity that I was able to feel even from your sweet words. You are exactly the kind of woman I wish to have by my side, a woman who honors the word of God and who, in turn, is blessed by him. You, my dear,” he cupped her chin and lifted her gaze towards his, “are truly blessed. And I hope to be so, too, by your side.”
His words made her blush, and if not before, at that moment she knew that her heart belonged to Ambrose Wershing. This was the reason why God kept her away from all other suitors back home. Just as she had suspected, he had a very special plan for her, and it was to introduce her to this wonderful caring man who was expressing his undying love for her.
“You know,” she smiled at him, “I thought my life was boring and that I needed to look for adventure. But I had forgotten that, with the good Lord, every day is an adventure. It came looking for me and found me at exactly the right moment. The nightmare that I survived during my journey wasn’t meant to break me. On the contrary, my dear, Ambrose, it was meant to strengthen me, to empower my faith in God, so that in your arms I could come alive in the truest sense of the word.”
The following morning, Eliza was in the kitchen feeding the baby when Ambrose joined her.
“Good morning,” his voice greeted her cheerfully.
“Good morning,” she replied with a smile on her face. “You know,” she added, looking out the window, “I think it’s going to be a wonderful day.”
“With you here, every day is going to be wonderful.” He laid a sweet kiss on her forehead.
“I was thinking … ,” she started. He looked at her expectantly. “What if we don’t find Ruth?” she asked, afraid.
He took some time to think about it and then finally offered his answer.
“I don’t think it’ll be that hard to find her, Eliza,” he stated matter-of-factly. “The sheriff assured you there were no casualties and only a few wounded women who were immediately taken to nearby hospitals. That, of course, means that there are only a few places where Ruth could be. So I don’t see why we wouldn’t find her, return her child to her and then focus on our own lives.” She could sense what he meant. He referred to them having their own baby
once they were married, and the very thought made her blush. Having a baby with this wonderful man would be a dream come true!
But before her own dream could come true, she needed to help a friend in need.
“I know that Ruth and I spent only a short amount of time together, but please trust me when I say this, Ambrose, she is a kind-hearted, generous person. No matter how much she was wronged in this life, I just know that she will pull through and create a new life for her and this little sweetheart here.”
“I’m sure that every word of what you’re saying is God’s honest truth, Eliza. I’m going to do my best to help you. I know a few doctors who work in neighboring hospitals. I’ll see what would be the fastest way of sending word to them regarding this whole affair, and we’ll take it from there. What do you say?” He smiled.
“Will you, Ambrose?” Eliza jumped with joy and hugged him with all her might. Somehow, someway she knew that with his help, everything would be all right in the end.
A few days later, upon returning from town after doing some grocery shopping, Eliza found a strange man in her home, sitting comfortably on a sofa in the parlor. Carrying Ruth’s baby in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other. Eliza was more than a little startled.
However, she immediately relaxed upon seeing Ambrose in the other corner of the room, looking for a specific book in his huge library. He turned around and saw her.
“Ah, Eliza, we’re so happy you’re finally home.” He greeted her, and at the same time, the man rose from the chair he was sitting in and approached her with an outstretched hand.
“This is a very dear friend of mine, Lucius, Lucius Copperfield,” Ambrose introduced the man who bowed down courteously and placed a soft kiss upon Eliza’s hand, which had just been freed off the grocery bag.
“Lovely to make your acquaintance, Mr. Copperfield,” she replied sweetly.
“Please, call me Lucius,” he smiled.
“Lucius,” she returned his smile.
“Lucius here,” Ambrose continued, “has some very interesting information to share.”
“Oh?” Eliza didn’t know what this whole meeting was about. But the two men sure did.
Regency Romance: Fallen Duchess (A Historical Victorian Murder Mystery Love Regency Romance) Page 17
