“I agree with that,” Billy chuckled. “Some of us were very hard to get along with.” He glanced sideways at Mary.
“Oh, shut up,” Mary grumbled and gave Billy an elbow in the side. “I couldn’t have been that bad.” Brandy choked, and Thunder had to pat her on the back.
“I just had to go through an adjustment period,” Mary said with a smile.
“And thank God you adjusted,” Billy teased. They were quiet for a moment as they ate and then Billy thought about Thunder’s mother. “Have you heard from Helen?”
“We received a letter this week,” Thunder said, then took a sip of water. “She is enjoying her stay with my grandparents. However, my grandmother has become sick, so Mother is taking care of her at the moment I’m glad that she finally made it back to Boston. I’m sure she’ll come back West once my grandmother is well.”
Brandy put her fork down and looked at Billy. “Why do I have a hunch that your sudden appearance is more than just a visit?”
Billy stared at his sister for a moment then burst out laughing. “Well, I did miss all of you.”
Brandy rested her head on her chin. “And?”
“And, I’m going back East,” Billy announced.
“For good?” Scott asked.
“Nope.” Billy shook his head. “Ben Holladay wants me to go to New York and bring his niece back to Denver.”
“What do you think about making this trip?” Brandy asked.
“It’ll be a good chance for me to see a horse farm and I must admit it will be a change,” Billy admitted.
“Our covered wagon is broken,” Scott said.
“I won’t need one.” Billy reached over and ruffled Scott’s hair. “I’ll travel by train and stage.”
“I guess you’ll be gone a couple of months?” Thunder asked.
“That’s what I figure,” Billy said.
“Well, the only thing I can tell you, kid, is that life is very different back there, so be prepared.” “I can remember your stories about Boston. I think I’m going to take my horse. At least then I’ll have something familiar with me.” Billy chuckled. “I’ll see you before you know it.”
Mary reached over and placed her hand on Billy’s arm. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
Billy smiled and kissed Mary on the nose. “I will. After all, I seem to be the only one who can keep you straight.”
Chapter Three
The sun had barely risen when Billy put on his white duster to ward off the crisp morning air. Even though the days promised the warmth of the spring, the chilliness of winter still clung to the mornings.
He rode to the stage station to wait for Fredrick, but when he arrived, he saw Fredrick leaning against a post, drinking a cup of coffee. Billy wondered if he’d ever looked as young as the kid did to him now. Sometimes he felt as if he’d been an old man all his life, having had a lot of responsibility at a very young age.
Fredrick was tall, lanky, and scatterbrained, which his uncle complained about constantly, along with the fact that the boy lacked any ambition at all. Billy figured that Fredrick just hadn’t found his calling yet—but he would. You didn’t live in this part of the country long without becoming a man. However, the sooner the better.
Billy had to admit that Fredrick had an easy going charm that made the tow-headed kid likable.
He reminded Billy of an overgrown puppy who hadn’t filled out yet.
“Are you ready to go?” Billy asked, not bothering to dismount.
Fredrick tossed out the remains of his coffee. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” he said as he pushed his rangy body away from the post. “Just as long as I don’t have to stay.” He must have seen Billy’s puzzled look because Fredrick added, “I’m sure when I see my folks, they’ll try and talk me into staying at home and learning the shipping business.”
“It sounds profitable.”
“It is. It’s just not for me.”
Billy nodded. He understood quite well. It was one of the reasons he’d struck out on his own. “We’ll tell your folks that I need you,” he said.
Fredrick nodded with a boyish smile. “Sounds good to me.”
“I thought we’d ride instead of taking the stage, so that we can take our horses on the train. Don’t like to be without my horse. Are you up to it?”
“You betcha.” Fredrick mounted his horse. “Can you call me something besides Fredrick?”
“How about if I call you Fred?”
“I think I’d like that better, but I really prefer F. D. Out here Fredrick sounds sissy, and it has gotten me into plenty of fights. Been lucky they haven’t involved shooting, but I’m learning not to use my name. However, my uncle will not call me anything but by my given name—unless it’s ‘hey you’.” Fredrick laughed.
“Your uncle is one hell of a man.”
“Yeah, but set in his ways,” Fredrick said.
When they reached the edge of town, Billy felt a little strange leaving Denver for a reason other than work. Of course, this was work, only a different kind. But he’d be back, he thought as he turned in his saddle to glance back at the tall buildings as he rode away. He hadn’t realized until this moment that he thought of Denver as home. He wasn’t sure where he was from originally, but it didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was his adopted family. Whoever his real parents had been, it was evident that they had never wanted him. Billy had learned the hard way that your family is the people around you, who were there from day to day and cared if you got in trouble.
“What does F. D. stand for?” Billy asked. “Fredrick David. It sounds more like a man’s name than Fredrick.”
“All right It will be F. D. from now on. I figured that you’d be glad to be heading home.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing my aunt and uncle and going to visit my folks, but Denver is home now. You’ll see what I mean when we go back East Give me the wide open range any day,” Fredrick said, then he glanced over at Billy. “Where are you from?”
“It’s funny that you should ask. I was just thinking that Denver is also my home. Can’t say I know where I started, but I don’t relish the idea of going back to Independence where Father Brown found me. I ended up in his orphanage.”
“I bet it was tough being an orphan.”
Billy nodded. “Yeah. You could say so. The first thing you learn is that the only person you can count on is yourself.”
Fredrick looked at Billy for a long moment. “Looks like you turned out all right.”
Billy chuckled as he glanced at the kid. “Glad you approve.” He watched Fredrick turn red. “Well, you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know,” Billy said. “I’ve never been East before, so I guess I’ll be the greenhorn once we board the train and leave Missouri.”
“Hey, I like the way it sounds. You can depend on me.”
Billy frowned. He didn’t like depending on anyone, but the kid was right. “Just remember, F. D., don’t steer me wrong,” he warned. “Looking foolish isn’t something I care for.”
“Yes, sir,” Fredrick said with a smile.
They rode a long way in silence before Billy finally said, “Tell me something about Claire.”
“She’s my cousin,” Fredrick said simply and shrugged. Then he chuckled at Billy’s scowl.
“No shit. Quit horsing around.”
“All right, all right. She looks ordinary. Kind of small with long black hair and blue eyes. I guess she’s okay, for a girl.”
“Do you like her?”
“Who doesn’t like Claire? Everybody loves her. I don’t know if she still has it, but she did have a terrible cough.”
“Well, the young lady is going to be in for a big change,” Billy said. “I just hope she’s up to the trip. It’s going to be a long journey,” he said, wondering just what the youngster would be like. His one consoling thought was that he’d probably enjoy dealing with a child instead of a fickle woman. He just hoped the kid wasn’t scared of him. It had been a whi
le since he’d been around children, so he’d have to remember to be gentle.
Instead of the snarling bear that he could be.
Claire had everything packed except for a couple of items lying on the blue and white quilt on her bed and the few gowns she’d wear and the ball gown she chosen for the farewell party her mother had planned.
Normally, she didn’t give a fig about parties, but she was looking forward to this one. It would probably be her last ball, so she wanted to enjoy every minute of it.
Glancing at her aquamarine gown, she smiled at the elegance of the cut She wanted to make sure she looked her best to show David that she was doing just fine without him. Maybe he would regret letting her go.
She had to admit that she did miss him. Having grown up together, he’d always been a part of her life. She’d planned to marry David. Now she realized that she’d been viewing him through rose-colored glasses. David had many flaws, the worst being that he thought only of himself. She’d never want anyone like that. Too bad she’d not seen his true colors earlier.
Claire wasn’t sure what kind of man she wanted, not that it mattered anymore, since she wouldn’t likely live to see him. Perhaps she’d just have a few flings with several men. Her reputation would not matter, and she’d be very careful not to fall in love with anyone in the short time that she had left. Tears threatened to fill her eyes so she took a deep breath.
The intake of air tickled her throat and she began to cough. Quickly, she grabbed her handkerchief from the dressing table and pressed it to her lips. She coughed and coughed until she finally had to sit down. Grabbing for the brown medicine bottle, she held it to her lips and took a sip, frowning at the bitter taste, but desperately needing its relief. She coughed again.
“Here, let me get you some water,” Aunt Ute said, entering Claire’s bedroom.
Claire nodded then took another sip of medicine.
“Drink this, Claire.” Ute said in her thick German accent She held a cool glass of water out for Claire.
After Claire drank several sips, her spasms eased, and she set the glass back down and whispered, “Danke schon.” It was the only German words she knew.
Ute patted her back. “That’s my girl. Take a deep breath and wipe the tears from your eyes. Much better, ja?”
“Uh-huh,” Claire said as she nodded, feeling that if Aunt Ute slapped her back any harder she wouldn’t have any breath left!
“Have you had many spells today?”
“No.” Claire took another soothing sip of water. “I’ve been lucky. That was the first”
“Good.” Ute nodded then moved over to the high four-poster bed. She finished putting the folded garments into the trunk. “I see you are already packed. This is good, ja? We don’t want any last minute frazzles.”
Claire looked at her aunt and smiled. “I knew you’d be pleased.” She really liked her aunt. Being extremely tall for a woman, she could intimidate most men. Although large, she was pretty, with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes that had specks of gold in them. Having never been married, she was considered an old maid, but Claire liked to think that Ute just hadn’t met the right man. There had to be that special someone out there waiting for the right woman.
Thoughts of David sneaked back into Claire’s mind. She had thought she’d met the right person but she knew now that she’d been terribly wrong.
Oh, well, Claire sighed. She was glad to have Aunt Ute as a nurse. She was a great deal of comfort
Aunt Ute nodded. “Margaret said to tell you that your escort should be arriving this afternoon.”
“Really? That’s wonderful! He will arrive in time for my party this Friday. Then the next day, we’re off on our great adventure.”
“You’re a little sad about leaving home, ja?”
“No.” Claire shook her head emphatically. “Oh, I’ll miss my family, but I want to see other things beside Oak Hill. I want to see the world. Or at least, the Wild West”
“There’s nothing like traveling. It enriches the soul, and I’m really glad that you’re getting the chance. But I’ve heard that the frontier can be a wild place. They have uncivilized creatures out there: some who would scalp you. Can you believe it?”
“Indians,” Claire supplied. “I’m sure we won’t run into any. I think they are mostly in books and uncivilized places. We’ll be riding the train to Missouri and from there the stagecoach, I think we’re safe.”
“Well, I will tell you one thing.” Ute put her hands on her hips. “If they want this head of hair, they will be in the biggest fight they have ever seen,” Ute proclaimed, “because I’m not a frail little thing.”
Somehow, Claire couldn’t picture anyone tangling with Aunt Ute. She grinned. They wouldn’t stand a chance.
“I’m going to Doc Worden’s office to get a few bottles of your medicine,” Ute said as she moved toward the door. “We don’t want to run out. Would you like to come?”
“I don’t believe so. I’ve seen enough of his office to last a lifetime.”
“I guess so.”
“I think I’m going to lie down for few minutes. I really feel tired after that coughing spell. Besides I don’t want to miss my escort when he arrives. I wonder what he’ll look like,” Claire said, voicing her thoughts out loud.
“Does it matter?”
“No, not really. I guess I’ve been trying to picture him because I know he’s going to be different from the men I know. I’ll bet he’ll look like a real cowboy.”
“As long as he leaves his horse outside, he will suit me,” Ute said as she shut the door.
After Ute left, the soft bed called to Claire so she lay down and pulled the fluffy comforter over her. She’d never tell Ute how very tired she felt. The coughing spell had taken more energy than she wanted to admit, but nothing was going to stop her from making this trip, and that included her awful cough. She would just shut her eyes for a few minutes and rest, and then she’d be fine.
She could make this trip. She could.
But what kind of man had her uncle sent for an escort? Perhaps, an older gentleman like Doc Worden? Someone to advise her and protect her? She could picture him in an old brown suit with spectacles perched on his bony, sunburned nose. She just hoped he was pleasant, or it would be a long trip. At least, her cousin Fredrick would be with them, so she’d have someone to talk to besides Aunt Ute.
Claire sighed. She’d much rather have some real excitement. She’d been living peacefully for so long that she was bored.
Well, no matter. She yawned and her eyes watered. She’d soon find out who the stranger was and then they would get a few things straight She wanted to do things her way instead of being told what to do by some man who thought he knew it all. So, whoever this stranger might be, he needed to learn that she was the boss.
With a soft smile, Claire drifted off into a deep sleep ... a place where there was no pain nor sickness.
By the time he reached New York, Billy was so tired of sitting that he felt like a caged animal waiting to pounce and stretch his legs. It wouldn’t take much to set off his temper. He wasn’t accustomed to such idleness. He looked out the window toward the long platform just coming into view. It was full of people and children dressed in their Sunday-go-to-meeting best
The train hissed to a halt as it pulled into the station, steam pouring from the big engine. A sign nailed to the side of the long wooden building proclaimed them to be in Kenton, a small town outside of New York where the Holladays lived. Billy couldn’t help wondering if Spot, his horse, was as restless as he was.
“We’re here,” Fredrick said as he rose to his feet and stretched. “I’d forgotten how long the trip is. Now I remember why I haven’t returned home before now.”
“You should try covering the distance by wagon train.” Billy chuckled. “Believe me, this is faster, though just as boring.” He glanced out the window again before he scrambled to his feet.
“Let’s go get the horses,” Fredrick
suggested.
Once they left the passenger car, Billy began to realize that he and Fredrick were dressed differ- ently from everyone he walked past. He noticed how they took second glances at him, even if they tried not to stare. He hated their stares because there wasn’t any way in hell he was going to dress like those fancy dudes.
At the cattle car, they led Billy’s pinto and Fredrick’s big red roan down the ramp, where they saddled the horses. Then they mounted and started off, Fredrick leading the way.
Soon the many buildings disappeared behind them, and they were in the countryside where the trees were just beginning to show their spring foliage and the roadways were sprinkled with wild- flowers.
Kenton was a lot greener than the prairie, Billy thought as they rode. He was beginning to relax now that they were in wide open country. “How far?”
“Go left here,” Fredrick said and pointed. “My aunt and uncle live down this road about a quarter mile. That way,” Fredrick said, pointing to the right, “is where my folks live.”
“At least their property is away from town. Thunder told me what it was like when he went back to Boston to see his grandparents. Said it was nothing but one house after another, all jammed side by side. He said he sometimes had to look to find the sun. Don’t think I’d much care for that.”
Fredrick chuckled. “If you go into the city, you’ll see what Thunder was talking about. Nothing to see but tall buildings. I don’t like it either.”
Suddenly, Oak Hill came into view. Billy pulled back on Spot’s reins, bringing him to a halt “Jesus, F. D! Is that a house?”
“Yep. Something, isn’t it?”
A mansion, sitting on a small hill between two large oak trees, came into view as they came to the end of the drive. A veranda surrounded the house— but not a normal veranda—this one reached around all four facades and extended from the ground to the main roof cornice. The veranda floor was elevated about three feet above ground level so that when they rode closer to the house, the porch was still above their heads. Billy counted the pillars. There were twenty-eight “You might say that it is very impressive. How high are those pillars?”
Until September Page 4
