“Can we go with them, Aunt Fiona? I’d like to go to California or Oregon. I could be a cowboy there.” He looked up at her.
“I don’t know, Joey. Maybe.” She bit her lip. “Later we’ll go talk to some of the people who are going and see what it’s all about.”
“Let’s go talk to them now.”
“Not so fast. First let’s find the general store and talk with the proprietor. They usually know the best places in town to stay.” She looked down at her nephew. “Since we’ve been sleeping in the wagon on this trip, maybe we can stay at a hotel.”
Joey nodded.
When they reached the general store they found several people shopping. Most of them seemed to be buying supplies for the wagon train. Joey busied himself looking at the jars of peppermint and other candies as they waited to talk to one of the clerks.
“That your little boy?” An older woman asked. Before Fiona could answer, she went on. “Are you and your husband headed for Oregon, too?”
“Well, I thought...”
“Great place to go. Me and my old man are going. Some folks think we’re a little old, but we’re going. Mattie Watson’s the name. Call me Mattie. Everyone on the train uses first names. And yours?”
“Fiona Webb.”
“Well, Fiona have you got all your supplies? I’ve got to buy ninety pounds of sugar and I think we’ll be all set.”
Fiona’s eyes got big. “You need ninety pounds of sugar?”
“The list said we needed to get twenty pounds per grown person and half for a child. There are four of us and a boy. Me and Rufus and Sarah and Hannah, our two unmarried daughters. Course Sarah was married and has a boy about your son’s age. Her husband, Will Hogan, was the sheriff in our hometown. A gunslinger shot him in the back three years ago. Her and Benny decided to come with us.” Mattie adjusted her bonnet, grinned, and waved at another woman gathering supplies. “Nina Fritz,” she said. “Her and Herman and their two kids are on the train. Her Susie is about the same age as my grandson. They’re good friends and I bet your son would be friends with them, too.”
“Maybe so,” Fiona mumbled.
Mattie rattled on. “I thought maybe both of my girls could get husbands out in Oregon and give Rufus and me some more grandchildren. There’s a lot more men there than women. Besides, me and Rufus ain’t going to be around forever.”
“I see.” Fiona was quickly doing math in her head because she was more interested in seeing if she had enough money to go to Oregon than in Mattie’s two grown daughters and their quest for a man. She had about two hundred and fifty dollars. Was that enough to buy what they needed to go on the trip? “May I ask you a personal question, Mattie?”
“Sure, honey. Go ahead.”
Fiona smiled at the friendly woman. “What is the total cost to make this trip to Oregon?”
“I think Rufus said it was gonna cost well over a thousand dollars for the five of us. Course we want to have a little when we get to Oregon so we’ve bought careful.”
“Oh, I see.” Fiona’s heart sank. There was no way she could come up with that much money, but Mattie’s next remark gave her a little hope.
“Course we had to buy it all. We sold out in Louisiana and come up here by coach. We didn’t bring nothing but a few clothes. Some of them wouldn’t do. They say cotton don’t keep out the sun and you need wool shirts, pants, and dresses. Now if you had some things already, it wouldn’t cost so much.”
Fiona wondered if she had enough of those things. “Since there arae only two of us...”
Mattie laughed. “Don’t go forgetting your boy there. I know kids don’t take much room and ain’t much trouble, but the wagon master counts them.”
“Of course, I count Joey, but I don’t have a husband.”
Before Fiona could explain further, Mattie said, “Since you don’t have a husband, you might as well give up wanting to go. Zeke Marshall don’t allow single women on his trains. He says it’s only asking for trouble.”
“What if my boy’s father is dead?”
Mattie looked at Fiona as if she knew the younger woman was desperate. She said gently, “Don’t make no difference if you’re a widow. You’re still single. They might let you go if your brother or somebody who was related to you was along.”
“I see.” Her heart sank. Oregon was out of the question. She glanced at the floor. “Come on, Joey, let’s go.”
“Wait. Don’t be so quick to make up your mind.” Mattie put her hand on Fiona’s arm as if she knew the younger woman needed help. “There might be a way, if you’re willing. Let me do some thinking on it.”
“I don’t understand.” Fiona looked at the older woman.
“I know somebody who might take you and your son with them.”
“Really? Who?”
“I’ll have to talk with them before I say. There’s a hotel down the street. It won’t charge you a lot. Why don’t you go there for the night and I’ll see what I can work out for you.”
“How will I find you again, Mrs. Watson?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find you or maybe I’ll send the person I’m thinking about.”
Fiona swallowed. “I probably won’t use my real name.”
Instead of asking why, Mattie Watson said, “Use the name Sarah Hogan and if you need a husband’s name, it’s Will and I’ll know who to ask for.” She then turned and moved toward the counter. “I’ve got to get my sugar. I’ll be in touch.” With that she dismissed Fiona.
After taking the horses to the livery stable and making arrangements for storing the wagon and livestock, Fiona and Joey checked into the hotel Mattie recommended. She didn’t understand why she felt she should use a false name, but she registered as Mrs. Will Hogan and son. The desk clerk insisted on a first name so she quickly said, “Sarah.”
He seemed satisfied and gave her the key to room number three. The room was on the second floor and faced the street. There was a large bed and a smaller one. The desk clerk said it was for families, but it was all he had left. Fiona followed him back to the lobby, paid the dollar for the night, then she and Joey went back to the room. Knowing she had to watch her money, they ate supper from the supplies they had brought with them instead of going to the restaurant the clerk had recommended.
Before they settled in for the night, Fiona looked at her nephew and took a deep breath. Mrs. Watson thought he was her son and she decided it was probably important everyone else think the same thing. “I have to discuss something with you, Joey.”
“What, Aunt Fiona?”
She wasn’t sure how to explain it to him, but she knew if they had a ghost of a chance of getting on the wagon train, it had to be done. “Did you notice me talking with the woman in the general store this afternoon?”
He nodded. “I was looking at the candy, but I saw her.”
“Well, I was discussing the wagon train with her and I found out some things. It seems there’s a slim chance we might get on the wagon train if we do some pretending.”
He frowned. “What kind of pretending?”
She bit her lip and decided she was going to be direct with him and hope he understood. “They’d never let us go unless they think you’re my little boy. If they knew you were my nephew we might not get to go.”
He swallowed. “Do you mean I have to forget Mama?”
She put her arm around him. “Of course not, Joey. I don’t want you to ever forget your mother. As I said, this would only be pretend.”
“Do I have to call you Mama like I did her?”
“No, honey. You could call me Ma or whatever you want to. All you have to do is make people believe you’re my boy.”
He was quiet a minute then he said, “I guess I can do it if it means I get to be a cowboy in Oregon.”
Fiona hugged him to her so he couldn’t see the tears running down her cheeks.
* * * *
The next morning Fiona and Joey went down the steps to the hotel lobby. A tall man dressed in tight de
nims, a blue shirt, and black leather vest with a darker blue bandana tied around his neck stood near the bottom of the steps. He was holding a black hat in his left hand and there was a gun in the holster on his right hip. She couldn’t help noticing how the pants emphasized his muscular thighs and slim hips. She was sure the blue shirt hid a hard muscular torso. He had dark hair, a neat mustache and he held her almost spellbound with his bright green eyes. Fiona didn’t think she’d ever seen a man as handsome as this one. She didn’t like her reaction, but she couldn’t help it when her heart began beating faster.
He twisted his hat in both hands and smiled at her. “Mrs. Webb?”
Surprised someone called her by her real name, she stared at him. “How did you know who I was?”
“Mattie Watson told me you were staying here. When the desk clerk said he didn’t have a Webb registered, I decided to wait until a woman and her son came down.”
Fiona frowned and mumbled, “I see.” She wondered what else Mattie Watson had told him. Surely not that she was desperate to get on the wagon train, but she decided she’d better confess. “You didn’t find a Mrs. Webb, sir, because I registered under the name of Sarah Hogan.”
He nodded. “Mattie said you might be using Sarah’s name.”
When he said nothing further, she asked, “What did Mrs. Watson tell you about me?”
“That you and your son wanted to go to Oregon and you needed some help in getting on the wagon train.”
Was this the person Mrs. Watson had said might help them make the trip? “What does that have to do with you?” She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of this man knowing her desire to go west. Something about him stirred feelings in her she didn’t want to admit were there.
“Ma, I want to go to Oregon and...”
“Shh, Joey.” She looked down at him.
The man almost grinned. “Ma’am, my name’s Clint Larson and my wife, Rose, is in the dinning room waiting for us. Please join us for breakfast and let us explain.”
Fiona looked back at him. So, he was married. Why did this fact make her heart sink? She had no right to feel this way and the quicker she got away from him the better. “I don’t think...”
“Please, ma’am. It won’t hurt to listen to our story. If you have no interest after everything is explained, you have the perfect right to walk away.”
“Please Au...Ma.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Fiona said, “Since you’ve offered us breakfast, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to hear you out.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Webb.” He stood back and ushered her and Joey to the dinning room.
Fiona was surprised when she got her first look at Rose Larson. The woman was beautiful. She had raven black hair and green eyes like her husband. She was small and had delicate features. Fiona imagined a well bred woman would and should look and dress like this woman did. There was no question. Rose Larson was a high society lady and though she was a small woman, her waistline didn’t hide her pregnancy.
“What a handsome young man.” Rose looked at Joey and patted her stomach. “I hope my son or daughter turns out as nice as yours has, Mrs. Webb.”
Fiona put her hand on Joey’s shoulder. “I’m very proud of my son.”
“You should be.” Clint held a chair for Fiona. “He looks like a fine lad. I bet he’d be a big help on the Oregon Trail.”
“Yes, sir. I sure would be.” Joey got in the chair beside Fiona.
“I’m not sure we’ll be going on the Oregon Trail, Joey.” Fiona straightened her gray muslin skirt as Clint took a seat by his wife.
After Clint and Rose explained their proposition there was a long silence. Joey started to speak, but Fiona shushed him. They were finishing the pancakes and eggs when Fiona finally said, “So, you want to take my wagon, turn it into a covered wagon, and stock it to go to Oregon?”
“Yes. We’re willing to buy all the supplies the four of us will need in exchange for using your wagon.” He handed Fiona the list Zeke Marshall had given him.
She looked it over. “It looks like a lot of stuff.”
“Zeke assured me we’d need it all. The trip can take up to six months if we have any trouble, but with luck, we might make it in four.” Clint cleared his throat. “Mattie told us you couldn’t afford to buy this much on your own.”
“If you have enough money to buy all the things you need, why ask Joey and me to join you?”
“Look at my wife, Mrs. Webb. With all I’ll have to do on the trail, I’m not sure she’s up to the cooking and whatever it is women have to take care of. She’ll also need someone to help her when the baby comes and I’m afraid it might arrive before we reach Oregon.”
Fiona knew he was making sense, but did she want to tie herself and Joey to these two strangers? Another question nagged at her and she asked, “Why do I have to pretend to be your wife’s sister?”
“It will make it easier on all of us,” Rose said.
“Rose is right. Zeke Marshall, the wagon master, will only let a wagon join up to his train if it contains a family. We might get away with saying you’re a nurse for my wife, but it would be hard to explain your boy. Most nurses don’t have children when they travel with a patient.”
Fiona looked at him for a few minutes without speaking. Did she dare believe what they were saying? Should she take this chance to get away? She glanced down at Joey. He was looking at her with big excited eyes. It was the first time she’d seen anything except sadness in them since they left Kentucky.
Finally she said, “I’ll think about it. When do you have to know?”
“Right away,” Clint said. “We may be too late already. It will take a few days to get your wagon converted.”
She still didn’t feel she could make the commitment. “Could you give me until lunch?”
“I can, if you’ll let me go to the blacksmith and check on getting the wagon worked on. We’re on a tight schedule here.”
She nodded. “I guess that would be all right.”
* * * *
“Let’s go to the general store again, Joey.” Fiona took his hand as they left the hotel and started up the plank sidewalk. “I need to see about getting us some clothes and I want to talk to some of the other ladies who are going on this wagon train. I’m sure they can tell us what is expected of everyone.”
“Oh, au...Ma, I wanted to...” Without warning Joey jerked her arm. “Hide, Aunt Fiona! Hide!”
“What in....”
“Shh!” He pulled her around the side of the building and whispered, “It’s him.” He looked up at her with fright in his eyes.
“Honey, who in the world did you see?” she whispered.
“The man who wants to get me.”
Fiona didn’t answer, but her heart began to race as she peeped around the corner. Luther Markin was coming out of the general store. She jerked her head back around and spoke in a whisper. “Head to the back of this building, Joey.”
He didn’t move.
“Hurry, honey. We’ve got to get out of here.”
Holding on to Fiona’s hand, Joey began to run in the direction she told him to go. When they reached the safety of the building, he flung his arms around her and began to cry.
“Joey, I know you’re scared. So am I, but we can’t stay here.” She pushed him away and put her hands on his shoulders. “Listen to me. I think we can get to the livery stable from this back street. Let’s go.”
Darting from one building to the other, they managed to get to the livery stable. As they entered the dimly lighted place, they both took a deep breath.
Clint Larson was in a discussion with the blacksmith whose shop was next door. When he saw Fiona and Joey, he walked over to them. Without explanation, Fiona grabbed his arm and said, “I have to talk to you.”
He looked surprised, but led her to the other side of the room. “What’s going on? I thought you wanted to wait until lunch for your decision.”
“I can’t wait. A terrible man has followed us he
re. He’s trying to take Joey away from me. I’ve got to get out of here. Tell them to get my wagon ready...”
“Wait.” Clint took her shoulders. “Is he on horseback?”
“Probably, but what difference does it make?”
“Then there’s no way you can out run him in a wagon. The best thing you can do is hide.”
“I have no where to hide. He was headed to the hotel. He’ll know we’re here.”
“Why is this man after your son, Mrs. Webb?”
“He thinks because Joey’s father died, he has a right to steal my boy. We’ve got to get away from here.”
“Listen to me.” She looked up at him and he went on, saying, “I’ll find a place for you and your son to hide.”
She was shaking her head. “He’ll find us.”
Clint ignored her and motioned for the livery man to join them. “I need to go out to the wagon train camp. My sister-in-law wants to talk with the wagon master.”
“Want me to get your buggy ready, Mr. Larson?”
“Please.”
The man walked away and Clint asked, “Do you want to tell me why you have to evade this man?”
“It’s complicated and the story is too long to go into.”
“Then, let’s get you out of town. You can tell me about it later.”
Over her protest, in a matter of a few minutes Clint had Fiona and Joey in the buggy, but she was still nervous. “Are you sure this is going to work?”
“I’m sure. I’m taking you to Mattie Watson. You can trust her. She’s already spread the word about Rose’s sister and her son meeting us to go on the trip.” He smiled at her.
“Why would she?”
“We all thought you’d take Rose and me up on our offer to accompany us to Oregon.”
“It looks like the decision has been made for me. You know from how scared we are that we need to get out of town as quickly as we can. If we can make it to Oregon I’m sure we’d be safe.”
“The train is leaving in less than a week.”
Fiona shook her head. “I don’t know if we can stay hidden for a week.”
“Sure you can. Especially with all of us to keep you safe. The Watsons will help hide you and your boy for the week if they have to. The Fritz family will help, too. You won’t even have to come back to town unless you want to. I’ll take care of getting your things in the wagon whenever we get it converted. I’ll then drive it out here and you’ll have a safe place to stay until we leave.”
Fiona's Journey Page 3
