by Kit Morgan
“Quince?” Zachary waved a hand in front of his face. “You must have had some visit.”
“Are you going to ask her to marry you?” Benedict, quiet until now, asked and glanced at the others. “It’s bound to happen to one of us soon. And you are the oldest.”
“Isn’t that why Father ordered a bride for you?” Michael pressed.
“Except that Quince isn’t interested in Miss Lynch,” Benedict added with a grin.
Major was about to comment when Jasper Kiggins entered the cabin. “Gettin’ mighty nippy out,” he commented as he wiped his boots. “Wouldn’t be ’sprised if it gets cold enough to snow soon. Long overdue …” He looked at the Comforts seated around the table. “I interrupt somethin’?”
Zachary laughed. “No, Jasper. We were just talking about women and marriage.”
Jasper took off his coat and hung it on a peg near the door. “Marriage … now there’s a happy topic. Sure like to find me a wife someday.”
“Isn’t that why you’re going to Oregon City come spring?” Benedict asked.
“Nope – Astoria. I’da left sooner, but I thought I’d better save up more money. ‘Sides, it’ll be easier to find a place in the spring. Oregon City’s ‘bout played out now, but Astoria’s a fast-growin’ town, and the ships comin’ in all the time – should be plenty of women to choose from.”
“I don’t believe I’ve seen a man as eager as you to marry, Mr. Kiggins,” Major said with a smile. “I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“I tell ya what, gents – I’ll be thirty-five next month. Purty soon I’ll be past my prime. If I wanna family, I better get a move on.”
The men laughed as Jasper took a seat at the table. He had a scraggly beard and was missing a couple of teeth, but his dark eyes were full of kindness, and he was honest and a hard worker. The Comfort brothers would miss his company come spring.
“And,” Jasper added, pointing at Major, “I might say the same for ya – ya ain’t getting’ any younger. Yer what – twenty-eight, twenty-nine?”
“Thirty in April,” Major agreed reluctantly.
“There ya are. A tree gotta start producin’ fruit ‘fore the sap dries up, knowhatImean?”
“How come you never found a wife here?” Matt asked, taking the heat off his eldest brother.
Jasper snorted. “Shoot, everyone knows there’s no women ’round here to marry.”
The Comfort brothers glanced at one another. “Certainly there is,” Michael said. “Honoria Cooke is of age to marry.”
Major’s gut twisted as jealousy shot through him like fire. It was all he could do not to glare at his brother for even mentioning Honoria was available. Oh, get a grip, he thought to himself.
“Honoria Cooke?!” Jasper scoffed. “Aw, no – I ain’t loco! I wouldn’t go within a mile of that girl if’n I know what’s good for me.”
“Why is that?” Matt asked, glancing at Major. “Our brother just had supper with her and her family.”
Jasper’s jaw dropped, and he studied Major as if inspecting him for damage. “Ya did what?”
Major shrugged. “I had supper at the Triple-C, yes.” He studied Jasper in return, his brow furrowing. “From the look on your face, Mr. Kiggins, I gather you’re surprised to see me here in one piece.”
“Ya got that right,” Jasper said. “Folks ‘round here know Harrison Cooke’d soon as shoot a fella in the kneecap as let him get near his daughter.”
“I sat next to her at supper,” Major added, arching one eyebrow. “And he wasn’t that bad – a little overprotective, but what father isn’t?”
Jasper looked him over again. “Well, ya don’t look any worse for wear. Harrison musta let ya off easy. But I bet I know why – it’s on account of ya courtin’ that Miss Lynch.”
“Excuse me, sir, but I am in no wise courting Miss Lynch,” Major objected.
“What?” Jasper asked. “But it’s all over town the two of ya are gettin’ hitched.”
Major rolled his eyes and sighed. “Only because Miss Lynch is spreading it ‘all over town’.”
“Then what are you doing, Quince?” Michael asked in all seriousness. “You’ve been spending more time with her than with Miss Cooke.”
“I’ve been stalling, if you must know – waiting to hear back from Father. I don’t understand why he hasn’t written.”
“Why don’t you write the bridal agency?” Matt suggested.
“I did, last week – but I haven’t heard from Mrs. Pettigrew either. Before I send Miss Lynch on her way, I want all the facts. If she and her father decide to settle here … then I need to make things right. I think that’s only fair.”
“Of course,” agreed Zachary. “But have you informed Miss Lynch?”
“On numerous occasions. But she doesn’t seem to want to listen – she came here to get married, and is determined to do so.” He looked around at his brothers. “I don’t suppose any of you might be interested?”
“She isn’t hard on the eyes …” Jasper said, more to himself than anyone else.
“She is on the ears,” Benedict added dourly.
Darcy spoke for the others. “None of us are in any position to take care of a wife at present. Including you, Major.”
“One more reason I cannot marry Miss Lynch,” Major agreed. But then, it also meant he was in a pinch if he wanted to court Honoria! Great Scott, how had he not seen that? He didn’t own any land, had no steady job, no money in the bank – and he couldn’t rely on his father or brothers, as they were in the same position. Jasper Kiggins was way ahead of them on that score – and it had taken him five years to save up enough money for his planned move to Astoria.
He’d been so blinded by his attraction to Honoria that he hadn’t thought about how he could possibly feed, clothe or shelter her. He had no way to even attempt it.
Jasper, oblivious to Major’s sudden distress, glanced around the table. “Look on the bright side, fellas. If Miss Lynch and her pa do settle here, ya’ll have plenty of time to save up.”
One by one, the brothers gave Jasper their attention. “I guess that makes me the lucky one,” Matt said. “Being as I’m the youngest.”
“Indeed it does,” Michael agreed. “You’ll have longer to save than any of us.”
“Then that makes me lucky too, as I don’t plan to marry anytime soon,” Benedict added. He looked at Major. “Our daddy, on the other hand, thinks you ought to marry now.”
Major sighed. “I still can’t figure out why he took such a drastic step.”
“Because he’s a desperate man, Quince,” Darcy pointed out. “He has been, ever since we lost the plantation.” Other heads around the table nodded.
“Gentlemen?” Major said. “Can we find something to talk about other than women?”
Jasper chuckled. “Heck, ‘round here that’s about all we talk about.” His eyes darted to the cabin’s front door. “Speakin’ of, where is everybody else?”
“They’re still in town,” Zachary said. “When we were there, I noticed the others’ horses in front of the saloon.”
“It’s a good thing we ain’t far from Clear Creek,” Jasper commented. “Pretty hard to ride home in the dark after a few drinks.”
“That it is,” Benedict agreed.
But Major had gone silent. What did he have right now, other than courtly manners? The fact began to pound at him, obliterating any thoughts of courting Honoria. Even if her father came to like him personally, he would certainly oppose a match on the grounds that he had no resources to provide for a wife.
No matter how much he liked Honoria – and, he was discovering, he more than liked her – he had absolutely nothing to offer her as a husband.
Honoria lay in the soft green grass, a gentle breeze tickling her nose and lifting wisps of her hair.
A large hand reached over and brushed the wisps aside. She turned her head, feeling the pillow of meadow softness beneath it, and loo
ked up into the piercing blue of Major’s eyes. He was lying on his side next to her, his upper body propped up on one elbow, his head held by his hand. She studied every beautiful inch of him. He was magnificent.
Ever so slowly he leaned over her, bringing his lips within a hair’s breadth of hers. “I love you, Honoria.” he whispered against her mouth. “I’ll love you until the day I die.”
Honoria’s breathing quickened. Her heart thundered in her chest at the closeness and she thought she might faint. Unable to help herself, she reached up, tangled her fingers in his hair and closed the distance between them …
“Honoria! Are you still in bed? Get up and get dressed! Those chickens aren’t going to feed themselves!”
Honoria’s eyes popped open as she gasped. Good heavens, had she been panting? She quickly glanced around the room, hoping her mother hadn’t seen her slumbering acts of amour. She sat up, her breathing ragged now, and felt the first deep pangs of loneliness. Emptiness. “No,” she whispered and ran her fingers over her lips. She swore she could still feel Major’s, even if it was just a dream.
She fell back against the pillows and stared at the ceiling as the first tear fell. “Oh noooo,” she groaned aloud as reality sank in. She was dreaming about him! She must be more attracted to him than she thought. He was, after all, very handsome. And those eyes … oh heavens, those eyes …
She raised a hand and studied her fingers, fingers that moments ago had clutched Major Comfort’s hair in a dream and pulled his lips to hers. The memory of it made her feel almost wicked. Almost. Because as she thought on it, their kiss was anything but. It was like tasting a slice of heaven, where she felt so cherished and loved.
Why? Why had it been nothing but a dream?
More tears. She’d never felt like this before and didn’t know what to do. Why did it have to hurt so much? “I don’t understand,” she whimpered.
“Honoria?” her mother yelled from down the hall. “Will you get up?”
“I’m coming!” she shouted back. She closed her eyes a moment and took a shaky breath. How could one dream affect her so? So what if she kissed him? But then, why was it so wonderful? Why did it feel so … right?
With a weary sigh she sat up, tossed back her blankets and stood. For some reason, she felt completely out of place. “What is wrong with me?” A shiver ran up her spine, and she rubbed her arms with her hands to chase it away
“Honoria?!”
“I’m dressing!” she shouted back. She went to the window and looked outside. She’d lived at the Triple-C all of her life, yet she suddenly felt like she didn’t belong there. Another wave of loneliness hit, and she shut her eyes against the tears threatening to escape. The last thing she needed was her mother asking questions about why she’d been crying. What could she tell her? I had a dream about Major Comfort last night, he kissed me, but because of Father and Lucretia Lynch I can never have him, so either lock me in my room for the rest of my life or …
Or … she did have another option, didn’t she? She’d even been working toward it yesterday, before Major’s arrival switched her onto another track entirely. But there was no reason she couldn’t get back to pursuing it, and avoid her heart breaking even more severely.
Honoria decided she would keep the dream to herself – it was too private, too precious. And she would renew her plan to convince her parents she should leave Clear Creek and go to England.
“Are you all right?”
Major turned to find Michael standing in the wide-open door of the barn. He turned back to his horse and tightened the cinch of the saddle. “I … didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Nor did I. I don’t think any of us did.”
Major stopped what he was doing and looked at him. “Why is that?”
“I think after last night, we all went to bed realizing that we have a long road ahead of us.”
Major nodded solemnly. “That we do.”
What are you going to do about Miss Lynch if you don’t hear from Father? You don’t even have the money to send her back.”
“No, I don’t.” He stared at the saddle. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to marry her. I can’t.”
“Word around town is you can.”
“You know as well as I do that Miss Lynch is the one spreading those rumors. I have no intention of marrying her and I’ve made myself clear on that score.”
“Are you sure? Because then why would she say anything contrary?”
“I told her …” His face fell. What had he told her? He’d been so caught up with thinking about Honoria Cooke that he couldn’t remember. Well, he did remember part of it. “I told her I was waiting to hear from Father to get this whole mess straightened out.”
“So in other words, you didn’t actually say no.”
Major closed his eyes a moment, feeling a headache coming on. “Oh dear …”
Michael put his hands on his hips. “Quince, you always were the generous sort, always the one trying to take care of everybody else. I remember how that used to get you into trouble.”
“And it still does. I’d better explain to Miss Lynch and her father in no uncertain terms that I am not going to marry her. And go into the reasons why.”
“The sooner the better. They’ll no doubt be angry, but they’ll get past it.” He sighed and raised his eyes to the ceiling. “It’s odd to me that a Yankee would want his daughter married to one of us.” He gave Major a bemused smile. “Even if she was raised in the South.”
“Northerners in general don’t resent us as much as many of us do them – part of the benefit of winning the war. But …” Major made a face. “She may have been raised in the South, but every time I ask the two about the difference in their accents, they become very evasive.”
“Does she speak of her mother?”
“Only that she died when she was young.” Major shook his head. “It doesn’t really matter, does it? I’m not marrying her regardless.”
“Nor am I.”
“Nor are any of us – none of us can support anyone else right now.” Major finished cinching up his saddle, then removed the stirrup off the saddle horn and put it back in place. “I feel sorry for her, coming all this way for nothing, not even the reward of a husband to hang on to. That’s why I didn’t outright tell her, even if she doesn’t seem the type to faint.”
“Except on purpose,” Michael quipped. “But she’s not your responsibility – she’s Father’s. He’s the one that sent the poor thing out here.”
“Maybe that’s why I haven’t heard back from him yet. He feels guilty.”
“When did you send that letter?”
“Weeks ago. In fact, Mr. Lynch was as upset as I was and sent word to Mrs. Pettigrew at the same time. I remember because he took both our letters to the mercantile to post them with Wilfred.”
“These things do take time, I suppose. I’m sure we’ll be hearing from Father soon. Not to mention Mrs. Pettigrew.”
Major grabbed the reins of his horse and started to lead it out of the barn. “I’m going to town.”
“Whatever for?”
He mounted. “For the same reason any of us go to town, dear brother. To find some work.” He gave his horse a little kick and was off. With any luck, he’d find them all some.
Chapter 14
By the time Major arrived in town, it was mid-morning and the residents of Clear Creek were going about their business. Mr. Mulligan stopped sweeping the boardwalk in front of his saloon and waved at him. A couple of doors down, Levi Stone came out of the bank, stretched and gave him a nod in greeting. Major tipped his hat in return. Sheriff Turner was sitting in a chair in front of the sheriff’s office speaking with Deputy Brandon O’Hare as he leaned against a post. Both of them smiled and waved as Major rode past.
He brought his horse to a stop, twisted in the saddle and looked behind him. The sheriff and his deputy had gone back to their conversation, Mr. Mulligan was still sweeping and Levi was heading into the bank.
Other townsfolk passed, waved, smiled. The people here were friendly and kind. He and his brothers liked the town and its residents even if some of them were a little odd. Thoughts of Irene Dunnigan and her hatchet made him shiver, and he gave his horse a little kick to get him moving.
His heart stopped when he spied the Triple-C’s wagon parked in front of Dunnigan’s Mercantile. He stared at it, dumbstruck, then quickly scanned his surroundings for any sign of Honoria. But there was none. “You fool, stop it,” he scolded himself. He steered his horse to a hitching post near the mercantile and dismounted. Once he’d tethered the animal, he went to the porch steps and took them two at a time. No reason, he just felt like it.
The bell over the door rang as he entered and he immediately locked eyes with Andel Berg. “Good morning.”
Andel smiled. “Good morning, Mr. Comfort. Just the man I’d like to see.”
“Oh?” Then he remembered their conversation from the night before. “Yes, of course – you wished to talk crops.”
Andel walked over to him. “I find myself wanting to speak with you on a number of different matters. How much time do you have today?”
“That depends on when you’d like to talk.”
“Now, if you’re able.”
Major glanced at Wilfred behind the counter. “Has anyone posted anything for the men’s camp?”
“Sorry, Major,” Wilfred said. “Nothing today – not yet, anyway. Maybe check back later this afternoon.”
Major nodded and turned back to Andel. “It looks like I have all the time you require, sir.”
“Excellent. I gather you are looking for work?”
“Always. You lived here once – you know how the men’s camp works.”
“That I do – I helped set it up. Though it was Cyrus Van Cleet’s idea; I only assisted.”
Major nodded and sighed.
