Magic in Her Eyes

by Donna Dalton

  The soldiers gave brisk salutes and rushed to carry out his orders. Clearly they had no difficulties with hearing.

  The lieutenant took a step back and treated her to a brief bow. “Please proceed with your boarding, Miss Talbot.”

  That was more like it. She clasped Anna by the arms and swung her up and into the wagon. The child scurried to the middle and turned, giving the lieutenant a wary stare. It would be a long time, if ever, before the officer earned her trust.

  Meredith braced her hands on the edge of the wagon and hopped. It wasn’t enough to get her rear end anywhere near the bed. She moved closer and tried again. Still short. She might as well be trying to mount an elephant.

  “You might be more comfortable sitting on the bench seat with Private Greene.”

  Comfort was a relative term. “I prefer to ride back here with the children.” She gathered her skirts and gave another try. With little luck. She thumped back to the ground, heels stinging from the impact.

  “Do you need any assistance?”

  His sugary tone chafed, and she bit back an unladylike retort. “No. I do not require any assistance.”

  “We don’t have all day, Miss Talbot.”

  “I can do this on my own, thank you very much.” She didn’t need his hands on her, making her stomach dance again. Worry over the move already had her insides roiling.

  “Do you also have an aversion to being touched?”

  She looked up and met his taunting gaze. It was a challenge she couldn’t ignore. She hefted her chin. “Not if I have given permission to be touched.”

  One corner of his mouth twitched. Surely that wasn’t a smile. From what she’d seen, the most his lips could manage were frowns.

  He held out his hand. “May I help you into the wagon, Miss Talbot? In the name of expediency?”

  Straw rustled behind her. One child hummed. Another thrummed on the wagon boards. The children were getting restless. She could contain herself long enough to be lifted onto the wagon.

  “Very well. I give my permission.”

  His hands curled around her waist. Heat seeped through her blouse and branded her skin. Her stomach started doing odd little summersaults like the ones she’d seen Chinese acrobats perform at a local fair. So much for containing herself.

  His grip tightened, and he lifted her up and onto the wagon bed as if she weighed no more than a rag doll. His hands lingered a moment before he released her. Gray-brown eyes fused with hers. A strange connection churned between them like the rush crowding the air before a storm.

  She broke the contact and busied herself with settling in the wagon and placing Anna on her lap. Such silly nonsense. She should have better control over herself. The last thing she needed was to arouse thoughts that there could be something between them. A romantic entanglement would only add more kinks to her already matted life.

  A soldier approached, leading a bay gelding marked with dark stockings. It reminded her of her earlier attempt to bring forth a vision. She had been close to summoning an image of Anna. The vision just needed a little more guidance; a little more focus. All her life, things came easily to her: riding, cooking, and even tedious needlework. But this…this gift seemed beyond her grasp. It was quite maddening.

  Lieutenant Booth accepted the horse’s reins and turned. His intense gaze fastened on her. Fire rushed through her veins. If she were a stove, her ears would spout smoke.

  “Is there anything you or the children need before we leave, Miss Talbot?”

  A bucket of cold water? She shook her head. “No. Thank you, Lieutenant. We’re as ready as we’ll ever be.”

  “Very well. Have everyone secure a firm handhold. I’ve ordered Private Greene to set the mules to a fast clip. We’re going to have to hurry if we want to beat the darkness and that approaching storm.”

  “I’ll make certain everyone holds tight.”

  “Be sure you do. We don’t have time to stop and retrieve any misplaced children.”

  Was that a jab? Given their brief but bellicose history, it was. He swung into the saddle and rode away, back straight, seat easy and controlled. He was clearly a seasoned horseman and a most striking man. Any woman on the hunt for a husband might find him the perfect quarry. But she wasn’t in the market for a husband. Not now. Probably not ever. Witch hunts, even in these enlightened times, were still quite common. If uncovered, her secret could place her and those she loved in danger.

  Mildred had informed her that the gift of sight passed along the female line of their family. Her mother had it. Mildred had it. So had her grandmother and great-grandmother. The talent lay dormant until the monthly courses began. Meredith grunted under breath. Just an added bane of entering womanhood, and another reason she refused to marry. She wasn’t about to burden a child with such a curse.

  The squeak of springs pulled her back from her thoughts. Private Greene settled on the wagon seat and took up the reins. He clucked to the mules, and the wagon jolted forward. Meredith gripped the rail behind her. Best to keep her mind on the things she could control.

  “Hold tight, children,” she urged. “Just like the lieutenant instructed.”

  Anna tilted her head back, her little brow puckering. “The lieutenant doesn’t like children, Miss Talbot. I heard it in his thoughts.”

  Like Meredith, the orphans at Seaton House were all gifted with extraordinary abilities. Mildred rescued them from neglect and persecution and coached them on controlling and concealing their talents so they could eventually fit into society. Little Anna’s gift allowed her to hear other people’s thoughts when she touched them. Good, bad, it didn’t matter. She heard them all. And it frightened her. She avoided laying hands on anyone at all costs.

  Meredith brushed a wayward curl from the girl’s forehead. “The lieutenant doesn’t have children of his own. I suspect he just doesn’t know how to relate to you. He’s used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question.”

  “His horse said he’s a nice man,” Robbie chirped. “Said the lieutenant gives him special treats and doesn’t use spurs like the others do.”

  Robbie Edmunds had the gift of gab with animals. He could hear their thoughts, and they could hear his. His twin sister Becky had the same talent. Meredith couldn’t imagine having all that clamoring going on inside her head. Her own thoughts were noisy enough.

  Anna hefted her chin. “I don’t care what his dumb horse said. I didn’t want to touch him, but he made me anyway. He’s a mean man. I don’t like him.”

  “I don’t think he was being intentionally cruel, Anna. He just didn’t know what handling would do to you.”

  “He thought I was possessed. What is possessed?”

  Gabe shifted closer and adopted a sinister tone. “It means a demon has taken over your body.”

  Anna’s eyes grew big as saucers. “D-Does a demon have me, Miss Talbot?”

  “No, sweetling. A demon does not have you, I promise.” Meredith glared at the older boy. At nine years of age, he knew better than to employ unnecessary dramatics.

  Gabe heeded her warning and slunk back to the other side of the wagon. She glanced at Private Greene. To her relief, the soldier appeared to be more focused with handling the mules than with listening to his passengers, but better to be safe than sorry.

  She lowered her voice. “People who don’t understand our abilities will say we are demons or possessed by demons. They may call us witches. They are frightened by what we can do. That fright will push them into being cruel and often hostile. It’s why we have to keep our talents concealed.”

  A small white sack skimmed over the ground, rushing headlong toward the wagon. Only one person could give life to an inanimate object.

  “Gabe,” she hissed. “Stop that.”

  The sack hopped over the back of the wagon and landed with a thump in the straw. Gabe snatched up the sack and dangled it by the draw strings. “I forgot my jacks. You know I need them.”

  Jacks to Gabriel Hunt was like a
sugar teat to a teething infant. Instant calm. They were worth their weight in gold, but not at the expense of exposing his secret.

  “You could have asked the driver to stop the wagon and retrieved them in a normal manner.” She gestured at Private Greene. “What if he or the other soldiers had seen such a display?”

  Gabe shrugged. “They didn’t. I made sure none of them were looking.”

  “All of you listen to me.” She made eye contact with each of her eight charges. “We must restrain ourselves while outside the orphanage. We cannot risk anyone finding out about us. Do you understand?”

  At their nods, she added, “Once we return to Seaton House, you can resume practicing your skills. Until then, there will be no use of our talents.”

  “What about Petunia?” Robbie patted his breast pocket. “Can I still talk with her?”

  A little pink nose sprinkled with whiskers peeked over the top of the boy’s pocket. He’d brought his pet mouse. Not a surprise.

  “You can talk with Petunia, but only in the privacy of our quarters.”

  Anna squirmed and clutched her kitten against her chest. “Where will we live? Will we be together?” Her little voice quivered. “I don’t want to live with anyone else but you.”

  “There’s no need to fret. Lieutenant Booth promised he would find a place where we can all stay together.” He’d best make good on his promise, or he’d deal with her wrath.

  “He’s quite handsome,” Nel said. “You should set your cap for him, Miss Talbot.”

  Having turned fourteen the month before, Nelda Sawyer was discovering that boys were not just playmates for hide-and-seek. She had developed a shine for the neighbor’s son and devised every excuse to visit the nearby Pryor homestead.

  “I am not in the market for a husband.” Meredith plucked a sliver of chaff from Anna’s hair. “You children keep me occupied enough.”

  Lily joined the volley. “The lieutenant likes you. His aura turned pink when he handed you into the wagon. Then both your auras melded together and turned purple, as if you were soulmates.”

  She had blossomed into pink and red and all manner of hot shades beneath the lieutenant’s touch. But that didn’t mean she should set her cap for him. More fittingly, it should send her running in the other direction.

  “Lieutenant Booth is dedicated to the army. He’s not looking for a wife.”

  “He thought you were pretty,” Anna said. “Pretty, but shrewish. What is shrewish?”

  Meredith stiffened. She might be impulsive and a bit short-tempered, but never shrewish. And pretty? Did he really find her appealing? She always thought her nose was too stubby. And her neck resembled that of a giraffe. Not in the least bit pretty.

  She shifted for a more comfortable position. “It means someone who is irritable and quarrelsome.”

  “But you’re neither of those.”

  “Of course not. The lieutenant just caught me during a stressful time. He doesn’t know me like the rest of you do.”

  “I can brew up a love potion if you’d like,” ten-year-old Maddie offered. “Make it extra strong with owl droppings.”

  Robbie nodded. “Me and Becky can help you find the owls, Maddie. I bet there’s lots of ’em in the stable lofts.”

  Meredith heaved a sigh. Why Aunt Mildred thought she would be able to oversee these children was beyond her. She had about as much sway over them as she did over her gift. Not to mention teaching them to fit into society. She didn’t even believe such a thing was possible for herself.

  ****

  Meredith swayed with the motion of the wagon. After miles of bumping and jolting, her entire body ached. A hot bath sounded particularly appealing. But according to Nel, who had made the trip to Mineral numerous times, they still had at least another half hour of torture to endure. Besides, once they reached the fort, she had no idea what type of housing would be provided or even if there would be bathing tubs.

  Her only solace—the children appeared to have heeded her warning. They contentedly watched the passing countryside, pointing out various plants and animals they spied along the way. Hopefully this normal behavior would last until they were safely ensconced in private quarters beyond prying eyes and sensitive ears.

  The roadway rolled over the landscape, cutting through short expanses of forests in between broad patches of cleared land. She could almost taste the pungent aroma of freshly turned earth riding the air. Earlier in the week, Mr. Hoggard had informed her that the local farmers were preparing their fields for summer crops. The milder climate allowed plants to grow well into the fall months—a boon to living in the Indian territories, if one survived the unpredictable renegade uprisings.

  Situated between Texas and Kansas, the territories had been distributed to each of the five major Indian tribes. While closed to white settlers, the center of the region contained a large tract of unallocated land where many legitimate settlements had sprung up. The town of Mineral had formed around Fort Dent, an army outpost assigned to maintain the peace and protect homesteaders—not an easy task considering the volatility of their neighbors.

  The territories started as flat plains in the east and rose to rolling hills and low mountains to the west. Seaton House sat in the south-central portion, just east of the Shoehorn Mountain range. While mostly serene and beautiful, there were pockets of harsh land that showed no mercy for weakness.

  One of the wheels dipped into a rut, giving the wagon a hard jolt. Her elbow rammed into the side railing, and she let go a pained yelp. Anna grabbed a handful of her skirt to keep from tumbling off. Squeals and shuffling rang out as the other children scrambled to regain their places. Little Robbie barely clung to the travelling trunk he’d been perched on. At this rate, the wagon would make it to the fort in one piece, but the passengers wouldn’t.

  “Private Greene,” she called out. “Is there anything you can do to avoid the ruts? The jolting is quite painful, even with the straw bedding.”

  The soldier glanced over his shoulder, his sun-browned face furrowed with wrinkles. “I’m sorry, ma’am. The road is full of runnels and pits from the recent rains. No way to avoid them. All I can suggest is that y’all hunker down until we get through this rough patch.”

  “Very well.” She tightened her grip on the railing. “Children, do as Private Greene says. Find a firm handhold and stay low. Robbie, come down off that trunk and sit next to Gabe.”

  Frightened by his near unseating, the boy didn’t tender any argument. He slid off the trunk and onto the wagon bed quicker than a rabbit entered a burrow.

  Anna wriggled in her lap. “All this bumping is making my tummy hurt.”

  “Mine, too, sweetling.” Meredith gave the girl a consoling pat. “Just hold on for a little while longer. The ride should get smoother.” So her aching bottom hoped.

  Despite her optimistic words, the ride didn’t get any smoother. It only got worse. The wagon jounced and juddered so hard it felt as if her teeth were going to shake loose. Each dip brought forth more yelps and groans from the children. Once they got settled at the fort, she’d have Maddie prepare a batch of herbal tea to soothe the aches of the demanding trip.

  As she shifted for a more comfortable position, the front wheel plunged into another rut, deeper and more forceful this time. A loud splintering pealed out. The wagon stopped abruptly and pitched to one side. Meredith lost her grip on the railing and slid across the bed. Lily careened into her. She twisted to keep from squashing Anna, and her back met the pointed corner of a trunk. A poker-hot pang stabbed her spine. She clamped her teeth around a curse. This trip was taking a toll on her—mentally and physically.

  Her tumble arrested, she pushed back her bonnet knocked askew by the fall. The straw bedding had shifted and mounded around them. Arms and feet stuck out from the jumbled mass.

  “Is everyone all right? Did anyone get hurt?”

  Lily rolled upright on the steeply canted wagon bed. “I’m all right. I think.”

  “Gabe? Robbie?
”

  The two boys bounced to their knees. Bits of straw salted their hair and clothes. “We’re fine,” they said in unison.

  Across from the boys, Nel held a teary-eyed Becky on her lap. The younger girl clutched her arm and grimaced in pain. Meredith’s heart took a nose dive. “What’s wrong, Becky? Is your arm hurt?”

  “It got twisted under her during the fall.” Nel cuddled the girl closer. “But I think she’s going to be all right. It’s not broken. Probably just a sprain.”

  “Keep your arm still as you can, Becky. We’ll put some cold cloths on it when we get to the fort. It will feel better soon, I promise.” That was seven children. Where was the eighth? Fear crept up her throat. Surely she hadn’t lost yet another child. “Does anyone see Sally? Sally, where are you?”

  Straw rustled, and brown curls spiked with chaff emerged from the mound. Meredith’s pounding heart slowed to normal. “There you are. Are you all right?”

  Sally nodded, eyes twinkling and face glowing. Leave it to a child to find amusement in a calamity.

  “Where is Private Greene?” Gabe motioned to the wagon seat. “He ain’t there no more.”

  Meredith turned to the front of the wagon. The mules stood patiently in their traces, but there was no sign of the driver. She craned her head over the side. A dislodged wheel rested in the ditch. A few feet away, Private Greene sprawled face-first on the ground, still as a toppled statue.

  She scooted Anna off her lap. “Nel, help the children out of the wagon. I need to see to Private Greene. He’s fallen into the ditch.”

  “Is he hurt?” Nel asked.

  “I don’t know. He’s not moving.” She slung a leg over the side, preparing to slide out.

  The thunder of hooves stilled her. Lieutenant Booth reined to a stop behind the wagon, followed by his other two soldiers. He dismounted and raced to her side.

  “Is everyone all right?”

  “Everyone except for Private Greene.” She gestured at the ditch. “He was thrown from the wagon. I was just about to go check on him.”

  He stepped closer and reached for her. “Let me help you out.”