by Lynn Donovan
Aidan’s eyes widened as he looked at Turtle Dove. His gaze darted toward Dorothy and then back to the Indian women. He nodded. “Yes, of course.”
Dorothy shivered. Aidan put his arm around her and addressed Turtle Dove. “I’ll go see the sheriff tomorrow morning and let him know somebody has done this.”
Dorothy stared in wonder. “Who would do such a thing?”
Aidan squeezed her shoulders. “Well, we’ve all managed to exist in harmony until lately. There may be confusion because the treaties were signed a long time ago, but the government has not issued land grants until recently. Turtle Dove and Drake’s people still hunt on a lot of this land. It’s where they make their summer camp and hunting grounds. I suspect the men with the railroads are taking an easy road to eliminate the controversy rather than work with the Indians or have peaceful discussions with them. I don’t know that for a fact, but it’s what I suspect.”
Dorothy leaned into Aidan’s warm embrace. “Okay, now I’m scared to stay in my apartment by myself. Maybe I should move into a spare bedroom in the Big House.”
Aidan hung his head. “I’d feel better if you were in the Big House, too.”
He led the way as the Two-Rivers people followed him to the Orchid mining camp. Turtle Dove and Drake gathered extra blankets and furs for the people to make bedding and Aidan helped Dorothy move her belongings back into her trunk and into the Big House. He took her to the bedroom across from his. “You will be safe here. I’m just across the hall.”
She sat on the bed and stared at her trunk. The room was large, with a vanity table, a reading chair and table, a large chifforobe, and a tall boy dresser. There was a water bowl and pitcher on a small table with a long mirror behind it. It was larger than the apartment and had a fire hearth along one wall. Was this actually the master bedroom? She wasn’t sure, but if not, it certainly was large enough to be one. “Thank you, Aidan. Will the Two-Rivers people be alright?”
“He looked out the dark window as if he could see them setting up in the barn. “They are resilient people. We’ll do what we can to help them recover. And I’ll post two men to watch the grounds overnight. I don’t know if you are aware of it, but you made a big impression on Turtle Dove tonight.”
“I did? How?”
“Without hesitation, you offered the schoolhouse and barn for shelter. You exposed a kindness in your heart that the typical eastern white man, er, woman doesn’t commonly exhibit.”
Dorothy puckered her lower lip. “I just did what seemed like the thing to do.”
Aidan nodded, but turned his face to where he was looking at her from the corner of his eye. “Right.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but she hoped that whoever it was who had set the Indians’ camp on fire was found out and arrested before they did any more damage.
“Well, goodnight.” Aidan closed her door and left her to her own thoughts. Sleep didn’t come easy for Dorothy that evening. The vision of the hide-wrapped homes torched in the night radiated in her thoughts. It was nearly daylight before she finally drifted to sleep, so when the rooster began announcing morning had arrived, she reluctantly rose and washed her face with cool water.
Coffee. She really needed some coffee.
If Aidan was going to town to speak to the sheriff, she wanted to go with him. But, should she? The children were looking forward to school starting. Perhaps she could meet with the children and then go with Aidan. If he could wait ’til mid-day to head toward town. She shrugged into her dressing gown and padded down to the kitchen.
Chapter Seven

Turtle Dove had a pot of coffee brewing, and was kneading bread. A pot of cooked oats were bubbling on the stove. “Good morning.” Dorothy greeted her. “How is your family?”
“Brown Bear’s wife is inconsolable. We women will help her through her mourning.”
“Yes. Of course. Is there anything I can do?”
Turtle Dove smiled. “Not now, Missus. But if there is, I’ll let you know. My sisters bedded in the barn, so your schoolhouse is available for class. If you don’t mind, some of my nieces and nephews would like to attend.”
“Of course. All the children are welcome.” Dorothy blinked away tears that came from nowhere.
Aidan came into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. “Did you sleep well?”
Dorothy shook her head. “No fault of yours or the room, everything is wonderful, Aidan. I just couldn’t get the sight of the fires out of my mind.”
He nodded and touched her hand. An unsettling, yet enjoyable, sensation shot up her arm at his touch. “I understand. I really hope the sheriff can figure out who’s doing this. We don’t need some rogue pyromaniac on the loose. A copper mine has enough problems without this.”
“I have a hard time imagining a decent human being doing such a thing to innocent people. All for the sake of laying railroad tracks.”
“Well, I get that the railroad is important to a lot of people for the economy and transportation, but like you, I can’t see taking innocent lives in order to lay claim on the land. I mean, agreements were drawn up, I don’t see why they aren’t being honored?”
Turtle Dove huffed. “Your government is two-faced. They make agreements and then disregard those agreements. They just take what they want and do not respect the natives who have lived and hunted here for many generations.”
“I know, Turtle Dove, I know.” Aidan patted her shoulder. With a huge sigh, he turned back to Dorothy. “Would you like to go into town with me today?”
“Yes. If you don’t mind waiting until I can meet with the children. I’d like to take some time with them this morning and then at mid-day I could be ready to go. If that’s agreeable with you?”
Aidan nodded. “I can wait.”
Dorothy continued. “While we are in Billings, could I look up the Houndsman family? I met them on the train and would really like to see Ginger again, let her know I’ve settled in well and I’m all right?”
“Sure. I don’t see why that can’t be accomplished also.”
“Thank you, Aidan.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome.” But his smile dissolved into a mask of concern. This matter with the sheriff was serious and needed to be dealt with soon. Dorothy knew that. She wouldn’t take too long with the children, so they could get on the road and inform the law that someone was hurting the local people.
She scooped up some cooked oats, smothered it in molasses and butter, then cut a slice of bread and added jam to it, washed it all down with the coffee and headed to her classroom. She turned on the porch and swung the hand bell, letting the children know it was time.
They poured out of the Big House, the barn, and the cabins and filed into the schoolhouse. Dorothy walked to her desk and sat down as the children found their names and sat where she had designated. A few extra children from the burned out camp stood at the back. “Come, let’s find seats.” Dorothy encouraged them. “Tell me your names.” She wrote down their names and placed a post card at a desk.
“Good. My name is Miss Blad… I mean, Missus Orchid. Inside your desk, you will find paper and pencils. I have written some questions on the board and I’d like for you to answer as many of them as you can. It’s all right if you cannot answer them, also. I just want to determine where you are academically.” She walked to the younger children. She had planned to work directly with them, assuming they were not able to read the questions on the board.
The children took out the paper and pencils as instructed and began working. Dorothy was shocked they went straight at it, with no questions. The younger ones along with the refugees from the burned-out camp looked around confused. “Ah. So let’s begin with something different. Will you please write down your numbers for me?”
Jalen and Crimson Belle began writing, 1, 2, 3… Rose and two of the Two-Rivers girls, Blossom and Jasmine, scribbled on the paper. “Ah. So, let me give you a little something to help.” Dorothy took t
he girl’s paper and outlined nine numbers with dashes then returned the paper to them. “Trace the numbers as best you can and we will work from there.”
Dorothy returned to her desk with all the children busily working on their papers. She was amazed at how much they seemed to know, considering it had been a year since a formal teaching curriculum had been available to them. The challenge might not be so much to catch the children up to their expected grade level but for her to catch up with the children. She smiled.
With all ten questions answered, the children began bringing their papers to her desk. “Excellent, children. I will read these over and determine what we shall work on next. In the meantime, I have brought you all some new reading books. If you’d like to check one out and take it with you to read, you may do so. I have put cards in the books. Please write your name on the card and give it to me.”
The children did as she asked and sat down with their books. Their obedient behavior was unbelievable. Surely, once they got more used to her and familiar with her classroom style, they would be more rowdy. Well, she would count her blessings for now and accept their good behavior as the new normal.
Turtle Dove rang the noon bell and the children filed out of the schoolhouse to eat lunch. “That’s all for today, children.” Dorothy instructed. “I’m going into town with Mr. Orchid. We’ll meet tomorrow morning.”
The children gave various greetings of salutation and left the schoolhouse with their reading books. She wondered how many would return their book to exchange for another tomorrow. The previous Mrs. Orchid had done an excellent job educating these children. The native children adapted quickly to the writing exercise, and she expected they would catch up to their age group in no time.
“You ready?” Aidan stuck his head in the door of the schoolhouse.
“Yes.” Dorothy gathered the children’s papers and put them in her satchel. She would take them with her and look them over while they rode into town.
The occasion of visiting the sheriff was a serious one, but the thought of seeing Ginger and her parents again made Dotty happy. Out of respect for the Two-Rivers’s clan, however, she kept her face expressionless as she and Aidan left their little community.

As Aidan pulled into Billings, Dotty put away her papers. She had been amazed at how well the children answered the grammatical questions. They knew their sentence structures and parts of speech better than she could have hoped. It really was going to be a challenge to stay ahead of them academically. Aidan pulled up to the sheriff’s office and helped her down from the wagon. They entered the office together.
“Afternoon, Mr. Orchid, Ma’am.” The sheriff greeted them with a tip of his Stetson.
Aidan introduced Dorothy and sat down in front of the sheriff’s desk. “We had ourselves a murder and arson last night. The Two-Rivers village was lit on fire, and their night watchman, Brown Bear, was killed, someone slit his throat. I’ve put the people up in my barn for the time being. They just came back from a hunt and have buffalo hides to prepare for new housing, but no one saw who lit the fires. Mother Bear said she saw a shadow of a man, so we’re pretty sure it’s not a rival tribe’s member.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Orchid.” Sheriff Guffy shook his head. “You say, no one got a look at who might’ve killed the watchman or set the fires?”
“No. Just a moon shadow was seen.”
“Ack. I hate to hear that.” Guffy stood and paced behind his desk. “We’ve had a quiet existence here all this time, ’til this railroad company came in here. It just don’t seem worth all this upheaval for modern technology, does it?”
Aidan answered with a silent raise of his brow.
“There’s a new man, Theodore Binks, works for the Northern Pacific Railroad. One of his men came in here yesterday telling me that Binks and some of his men shot an entire herd of buffalo after some Indians had come through there hunting the beast. Said Binks piled up the carcasses and burned them. He came back to the railroad workers and told them he had taken care of the Indians interfering with their work.” The sheriff shoved his Stetson back and rubbed the red line across his forehead. “I don’t know for sure how far he’d be willing to go, but he’s been pretty vocal about his determination to get that railway built. I don’t reckon killing buffalo and burning their carcasses is against the law. Neither is mouthing off , but—”
“No, but killing a man and setting an entire Indian village on fire is, Sheriff. With them taking up temporary bedding at my mining camp… Well, if whoever this was decides to finish the job of getting rid of those Indians while they are staying in my barn, it’s gonna get real personal, real quick.”
“I know, Orchid. I’ll have a talk with Binks. Maybe he’ll get too mouthy and let it slip he had something to do with the fires.”
“Well, Sheriff, I hope so. ‘Cause my cook Turtle Dove and head hand, Drake Two-Rivers are none too happy about their clansmen being threatened. I’ve got enough to deal with keeping a copper mine running without having to watch our backs for a murdering arsonist, too.”
“I know.” Sheriff Guffy hung his head. “I’ll do my best to figure out who’s taking the law in their own hands.”
Aidan shook the sheriff’s hand. “Thank you, Sheriff.”
“You’re welcome.” Guffy dipped his head toward Dorothy.
“Another thing, my wife made friends with the Roderick Houndsman family and would like to pay them a visit while we are in town. Could you tell me where they live?”
Guffy’s eyes widened. “Sure. They live on Third and Montana Blvd. But Mr. Houndsman has an office over two blocks next to the bank.”
“Well, good to know.” Aidan shook his hand again and escorted Dorothy to the wagon.
She settled on her seat and turned to Aidan. “Shall we call on the ladies at the house? Perhaps they can send for Mr. Houndsman to come join us for afternoon tea.”
Aidan nodded and joined her on the bench seat. She was thrilled at the prospect of seeing them all again. It was a short ride to their home. Dorothy knocked gently on the door and waited.
A maid in a crisp white apron opened the door. “Uh, hello. I’m Dorothy Bladdenwart… um, Orchid. Is Miss Ginger Houndsman available for a caller?”
“Yes mum.” The maid stepped back, allowing Dorothy and Aidan to enter.
“Dotty!” Ginger squealed and ran into the foyer. “Oh Dotty, it’s so good to see you! Mother will be thrilled.” She looped her arm through Dorothy’s and dragged her into the parlor. Mrs. Houndsman laid down her cross-stitch and looked up. “Oh! Dotty. How good to see you. And this is your… benefactor?”
“Yes.” Dorothy tried to turn toward Aidan although Ginger held a tight grip on her arm. “Actually this is my husband, Aidan Orchid.”
“I knew it!” Ginger laughed. “You were a mail order bride.”
“Well, yes. It turns out I misunderstood Mr. Orchid’s offer. But the judge explained to me that it was better to marry before I went out to the Orchid’s. It’s a tight knit community, a mining camp as it were, and better for my reputation to perform a marriage of convenience.” Dorothy glanced at Aidan. “I am still the school teacher. The students are Mister Orchid’s children and the miners and some nearby Indians who were displaced just last night because of arson.”
“Arson! Oh, my goodness.” Mrs. Houndsman fluttered her hand just below her chin as if she might faint. “Who would do such a thing?”
“Those were my very words, Missus Houndsman.” Dorothy agreed. “Could Mr. Houndsman join us for tea? I know this is an unexpected visit, but we had to come back to town to alert the sheriff and I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to see you.”
“Yes, of course. No, no, you are welcome anytime. I can send for him. I know he would love to see you, dear. And to meet your new husband. I don’t believe we told you, dear Dotty, but my husband is an investor. He has been hoping for an audience with Mr. Orchid about his copper mine business.”
�
�Oh, dear me. Really?” Dorothy turned surprised eyes to Aidan. “What a strange coincidence.”
“Yes. Isn’t it though.” Mrs. Houndsman walked to the foyer and gave the maid a hand-written note. She, in turn, walked out on the porch and whistled. A street urchin ran up onto the porch and took the note and a coin from the maid. Before long, Mr. Houndsman arrived at the house, out of breath and pleased to see Dotty and Aidan.
The maid served tea and cake, while Dorothy and Aidan sat down with Ginger and her parents.
“I am so pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Orchid.” Mr. Houndsman shook Aidan’s hand vigorously. Dorothy was surprised to see him act so jubilant. On the train he seemed much more reserved.
“Let me get straight to the point.” Mr. Houndsman gestured for Aidan to sit with him. “I’d like to discuss forming a business alliance with your copper mining company. With the railway being built through Billings and modern technology becoming our way of life, your copper mining operation could use a business plan with a forward-thinking layout for modernization and I’m just the person to help you put forth that plan. If you agree to let me, I would like to invest in your mine and form an alliance, say… Orchid and Houndsman Copper Mining Assets. I’ll oversee the business end of the operation and you’ll continue to do what you do best, oversee the mining operations, together we can make this company grow into something that could be quite influential for Montana Territory as it moves toward statehood. Why, I’ll venture to say we will achieve statehood in the next seven to ten years, and you and I could be at the forefront of having a voice in how that comes about. What do you say?”
Aidan glanced at Dorothy. “Well, I—”