Seth's Promise (Grooms With Honor Book 6)

by Linda K. Hubalek

  “He was fine until you tried to take him. Stand back so we can get past you. Get the next one ready to load.” She was serious and hoped Seth would do as she asked because she knew how to load horses.

  Seth reached again, and the stallion reared, so Lily had to let go of part of the rope and stand out of the way. Instead of wrapping the rope around her hand she’d been taught to fold the rope accordion style, so if necessary, she could let go of most of the rope but still have a hold on the knotted end.

  Lily patiently calmed the horse while folding the rope again, then she turned to Seth. “Move out of our way, please.”

  He shook his head but moved far enough away to be out of the animal’s stress zone. Lily talked Swedish to the horse as she led him out of the pen and quietly up the ramp. She locked the gate before walking back down the ramp.

  “Check to see if the stall gate is secure while I bring the next horse up to you,” Lily suggested.

  She saw Seth blow out a crisp frozen breath, but he nodded indicating he’d do as she asked.

  Working in tandem, Lily brought the horses up the ramp, then Seth locked them in their individual stalls. The four stallions were on one end, the three mares on the other with a spare stall left in the middle. Lily brought her horse up last so she would be next to the empty stall. They would check on the horses during the train’s stops, and Lily wanted to talk and pet her mare whenever she got the chance.

  Seth made sure the railcar door was secure, then picked up their luggage, two carpet bags in one hand, and the extra in his other hand, while Lily picked up her reticule and hat box.

  “Thank you for your help. You know how to handle horses, don’t you?” Seth asked, probably waiting for her to tell him why she was so good with them.

  “You’re welcome. Thank you for trusting me with them, too. It means a lot to me.” Lily smiled up at Seth, but she wasn’t going to say anything else at this moment.

  Seth nodded at her acceptance of his thanks. “Time to board the passenger car, but it shouldn’t be full since it’s traveling with the livestock train. The passengers will be mostly buyers and livestock handlers. I doubt you’ll have many women to visit with if any,” Seth told her as they walked side by side.

  “What a change. After working in a factory with all women, now I’ve been around mostly men since I arrived in Chicago,” Lily laughed and shook her head. “And except for you, I haven’t met a man I liked either.”

  ***

  The passenger car wasn’t a third full, so people had room to spread out. People slept, played cards, or read a book or newspaper. The main conversations between passengers were about the Union Stockyards, the livestock show many attended, or the cattle or horses they bought and were transporting home. Two men asked Seth about his ranch and said they’d like to stop by sometime to see his stock.

  There were two older wives with their husbands on this leg to Kansas City, giving Lily someone else to talk to besides him. Seth enjoyed hearing Lily’s laughter and occasional giggles when the three put their heads together. She’d quickly make friends in Clear Creek—or wherever she ended up living. Although they’d known each other less than a week, he’d started to assume she’d be in his life forever.

  Now they sat together watching the scenery roll by as dusk began to take over the sky. They were going through Missouri now and would be pulling into Kansas City Stockyards tomorrow morning. This would be their second night of sleeping on these bench seats.

  When they arrived in Kansas City, Seth hoped to get the horse car switched onto the next train heading to Denver tomorrow. It might be the next day, though, before it could happen.

  He wouldn’t be surprised if they had to transfer the horses to another car, but that would be all right because the horses could use the exercise and fresh air. If the horses ended up staying in the car another day, he’d be sure the stalls were cleaned out and new straw provided. And if they needed to spend the night, he’d find a hotel nearby for him and Lily. Seth was ready to get home to his own bed.

  But then he looked over at Lily. When did she leave Boston? Seth guessed she missed her bed every night since then and was looking forward to a new permanent place to sleep.

  Seth and Lily talked about a variety of subjects the past two days, but she still hadn’t talked about her life in Sweden. She’d slipped once saying something about being forced to come to America, as though she didn’t have a choice?

  Lily’s knowledge of horses astounded him. Not only did she know how to handle strong stallions, but her choice of words also showed she was very familiar with breeding and showing of pedigreed stock. She did more than chores at that manor farm. Why didn’t she tell him?

  Maybe he needed to ask her point blank.

  “Lily, we’ll be pulling into Clear Creek the next day or two. People you’ll meet—be it my family, every Swede in town, or the storekeepers—will ask you all kinds of questions. A few will be downright nosy, but the majority will want to welcome you and get to know you better.”

  She looked at him, then down at her hands in her lap. She knew what he was asking, and it was making her nervous. He could tell because she was rubbing her right thumb and forefinger together. Seth was learning her mannerisms, as she was probably learning his, too.

  “Hopefully, by now you know I’m trustworthy, and I won’t think badly of you for anything you’ve done in the past. Could you please share with me about your life in Sweden?”

  Lily turned to look out the window as if she didn’t hear his question.

  “If there is anything you want to keep private—between us only—I promise I won’t tell another soul unless I need to tell it for your safety.”

  She continued to stare at the horizon another long moment, then looked around at the people sitting around the car. Finally, she nodded her head and glanced at Seth.

  “My life in Sweden might have been typical for the social classes in Sweden. My parents were sharecroppers for a landlord, who…was not always fair in his dealings. Sweden had a bad drought in the late 60s, problems with the church, the government…

  “When people heard about the free land in America after the Civil War they left Sweden en mass. Families were in church one Sunday and the next Sunday they weren’t. The majority leaving were single young people because there were no jobs to be had, or their family farm had been divided so many times it couldn’t support another family.”

  Lily stopped and stared out the window again. Seth knew everything Lily told him because it was common knowledge. The reasons she mentioned were why there was a significant Swedish population in central Kansas.

  “Moder had three children before me, but only one brother survived. After Johan served his time in the military, he took off to the nearest harbor and signed on to work on a ship. I’m not sure if he’s still in contact with my parents.

  “After I was born, my moder had my sisters, Stina, Abela, and Nadia. There are about two years of age between us.

  “Fader continued to have problems growing his share of crops to give to the landowner or to sell to pay taxes, let alone feed his growing family. So, as payment one year, I moved to the manor farm to help with the landowner’s younger children, along with doing chores.”

  “You were young to be taking care of younger children.”

  “By age ten, a peasant’s daughter can do about anything an adult can do except where strength is needed.”

  “Was the farm close enough so you could live at home, or did you move into the manor house?”

  “I slept in the barn, Seth. And as you probably guessed, I never had enough to eat.”

  Seth moved his arm to wrap it around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “But you have enough food now, and your lovely face is filling out to make you even prettier than you were when I met you. Please continue your story.”

  “As the children grew older and didn’t need me as much, I spent more time with the horses. Their breeding stock was exceptional and sold well to other b
ig farms. Local farmers couldn’t afford them.

  “I spent a great deal of time with the eldest son, Mans, as he exercised the horses and I took care of their stalls and grooming. We…became close friends.”

  “How old were you when you fell in love with him?”

  Lily sharply turned to look at Seth. He’d guessed right.

  “Probably when I was fifteen, and he was eighteen. But it was five years later before he started paying attention to me. For two years we met daily in the barns, never out in public of course, and planned our future. In another year Mans would receive a considerable sum of money as part of his inheritance.”

  Seth slowly rubbed circles on the top of her shoulder, showing he was there for her, whenever she wanted to finish her story.

  “When Mans announced in the church that we planned to marry, Mans’ father…he…told me he would give my parents the land they farmed—and forgive all their debts to him—if I’d move to America instead of marrying Mans.”

  He knew Lily made her decision to protect her family. “Why didn’t Mans stand up to his father?”

  “His father said Mans would be disowned, and he’d be as poor as me. Mans decided I’d go to America, then my parents could own their land. Mans would follow me to America a year later after he got his inheritance.”

  “What happened to Mans since you aren’t with him now?” Seth sadly assumed he had died, either in Sweden or shortly after getting to America.

  “After I arrived in Boston, I mailed a letter to my sister to pass on to Mans. Mans mailed back to me…um, professing his love, promising he’d follow me to Boston in a year. Rather than travel to Illinois where several of my shipmates were headed for housemaid jobs, I stayed in the area to meet his ship.

  “Mans wrote two more times, but then nothing else. I wasn’t getting any letters from my family either, so I was anxious about what might have happened in our village. Had there been a serious outbreak of a disease, a fire? Why wasn’t I getting any letters from my loved ones?”

  Lily opened her reticule, pulled out her handkerchief and blew her nose in it.

  “I wrote to a friend asking what was going on since I wasn’t hearing from anyone. Six weeks later I heard back from her that Mans had married my sister, Stina.”

  Seth was floored. After all, Lily had done for her family, this happened?

  “Are you sure she was telling the truth?”

  “About six months ago my sister finally sent me a letter and a studio portrait of her and Mans in their wedding clothes. Before I left for Chicago, I got a letter from a friend, saying Stina had a baby boy now.”

  “I’m sorry, Lily.” Seth wanted to gather her in his arms to comfort her but didn’t know whether she’d be receptive to his sympathy. To be let down by the people you love…Seth couldn’t imagine any of his family doing anything like that to one another.

  “I haven’t heard anything from my family since then.”

  “Did you write to let them know you were moving to Chicago to marry?”

  “Yes, a brag letter saying I was marrying a wealthy businessman. And look where I am now.”

  Lily put a hand over her mouth, horrified by her last outburst. “I’m so sorry, Seth, I didn’t mean to put down the fact…”

  “I’ll take it as a compliment instead. You’re heading to a new life in Kansas, with your own horse, and a good friend who’s now your husband. That’s where you’re at now, and things have improved for you.”

  “Thank you for reminding me of that.” Lily rubbed her wedding ring while she stared at it. “For your sake, I think we should take our rings off before we get to Clear Creek though. I’m sure you’d prefer to get an annulment without everyone knowing we were married.”

  “Let’s wait until we get near there. The rings are safer on our fingers, don’t you think?” He was getting used to wearing it and wasn’t sure if he wanted to take it off—ever.

  Chapter 11

  Last night they had unloaded the horses to a pen for the night and found a hotel for themselves. Early this morning, they loaded the horses into a livestock car attached to a passenger train heading to Denver. Lily had spent the day staring out the window, absorbing the layout of her new home state.

  “This is it, we’re coming into Clear Creek,” Seth looked out the window, then to her, then back out the window.

  As the train slowed, her heartbeat increased. This could be my new home, where Seth’s family and friends live, where I’d shop and go to church. She squeezed her eyes tight, trying to control her runaway emotions, but started to hyperventilate instead.

  “Lily, what’s wrong? Lily?”

  She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself, but sobs took over as she cupped her hand over her mouth. Finally! I finally have a home and a husband, a place free of hunger and worry!

  “Lily? Answer me! What’s wrong?” Seth whispered as passengers around them looked on in concern.

  “Nothing! Things are finally going to be all right for me. It’s been years since I’ve not had to worry about what’s around the corner, or where I’m going to find a meal.”

  Lily turned in her seat and wrapped her arms around Seth, tugging him tightly against her chest. “Thank you for bringing me here, Seth. I don’t know how I would have survived in Chicago…”

  “Hey, dry your tears, you’re going to have a great life in Kansas. You’ll have plenty of Swedes around you to keep you happy now,” Seth whispered in her ear as he gave her a tight hug.

  “Yes, I know I will, it’s just…”

  “Overwhelming? I understand, but it will all work out.”

  With a final chug of the engine and screeching of the wheels on the rails, the train came to a complete stop. People turned their attention from her crying spectacle to stand, gather their belongings, and join the line to depart from the train.

  “Let’s let the others leave first, then we will stand. Look clear down to the end of the street,” Seth pointed to his left. “There’s the church, and the parsonage is on this side of it. That’s where I grew up and where my parents still live.”

  Lily scanned the buildings down the street until she saw the small, white, wooden church with an open bell tower on the roof above the double door entry. The trees were few and far between. There was a significant contrast between Boston, which had been there for over a hundred years, to Chicago, around fifty years, and Clear Creek, which Seth had told her was established just a little over twenty years ago.

  But of the three places, she liked the looks and feel of Clear Creek the best.

  Clothing on both men and women walking on the boardwalks were more basic, useful, versus frivolous. Most men wore wide-brimmed hats here instead of fedoras, and some wore gun belts around their waists.

  “Let’s get off now and unload the horses right away. There are pens south of the railyard where they can rest. Once they’re taken care of, we’ll go over to the parsonage, and you can meet my parents.”

  Seth was anxious to get the horses unloaded because the train would be pulling out after a shortstop at the depot.

  Seth waved at a man but didn’t go over to talk to him.

  “That’s my brother, Angus,” Seth explained. “He’s the depot agent but busy right now with the train and passengers. We’ll talk to him later.”

  The railyards were quiet compared to Chicago’s, and the horses unloaded without any problems. The horses would rest in the railroad corral until Seth and Lily could lead them to the horse ranch.

  The afternoon temperature was warmer than she’d felt in a few weeks and she relished the feel of the sun on her face. There was no snow here, only fall-dried grass and a few leafless trees.

  Seth pointed and told her about stores and places as they walked to the church; Taylor’s Mercantile, Clancy’s Café, the Paulson Hotel. His brother, Fergus’ photography studio. His sisters-in-law’s place of businesses, Daisy’s pharmacy, and Pansy’s doctor’s office.

  “My brother, Cullen is the po
stmaster, and he and his wife Rose, live above the library. Besides taking care of the library, Rose writes romance novels.”

  “Will we meet all of your family today?”

  “I think we’ll just meet my folks today. We need to get back to the ranch.”

  Lily wished she could have taken a bath somewhere before meeting Seth’s parents, but Seth brushed off her worries, saying it wouldn’t matter to them and walked on, apparently anxious to see his parents and introduce her to them.

  Seth rapped on the front door twice before turning the knob and walking into his childhood home. Lily followed, not expecting him to go in without bidding to enter.

  “Ma? Da? You home?” Seth called, walking through the living room to where the kitchen must be.

  “Seth! Glad you’re home!” a muscular woman with faded red curls met Seth before he stepped into the dining room and gave him a big hug. “What happened to your face? You look like you walked into someone’s fist.”

  “Ma...”

  “Well, glory be, son, who’s this lady with you?” Seth’s mother asked excitedly while grabbing Lily’s hand. “Welcome to the Reagan household. I’m Kaitlyn Reagan and so pleased to meet you. And you are?”

  Seth warned her his mother was a whirlwind of talk and motion, but Lily was still taken aback by her exuberant manner.

  “Ma, this is Lily, who I met in Chicago. She needed help, and I came to her rescue, so to speak,” Seth said as he removed his hat, and pulled off his gloves.

  “As you should, son.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Reagan, I…”

  “Oh, you’re Swedish! The Hamner family, ranchers near town, are Swedish too. You’ll enjoy talking with them.

  “Come in the kitchen. Your Da is home having his afternoon coffee and biscuits.”

  Seth smiled and shrugged his shoulders as Lily was pulled through the door by his mother. Seth’s father was an older version of Seth.

  “Patrick, meet Lily, Seth’s…” Mrs. Reagan caught sight of Seth’s wedding ring, and she stopped talking, her mouth agape as she looked from her son to Lily. Oh, no. They forgot to take off their rings!