by Natalie Dean
"Carson, you'll smother her," Maggie laughed as she watched her husband. Then they swapped the babies over. The bond had already formed in just this short time. They were meant to be a family.
As the Edwards walked out of the orphanage with their children, they were ready for a new life. In a few days, they'd continue their journey out west and build a new life. No one would ever know that the babies weren't theirs. It was important to Carson. He didn't want any unnecessary judgments on his family. Maggie agreed.
"What names will we give them?" Carson asked as they sat in the little hotel room that was to be their home for the next few days.
"I was thinking William and Jane. But William is too manly for a little boy, so we'll call him Billy. And today will be their birthday. This is the day we'll celebrate, when they came into our family," Maggie decreed. And Carson agreed.
The babies looked strong enough for the journey to come. Maggie and Carson had bought a ranch in Bannack, Montana and had been careful with their money so that they would have enough for this journey. It was going to be arduous. They had to get to Independence, Missouri and join the wagon trail. Carson had read the Campbell's Guidebook and was following its instructions. It was going to take a few months to get to Fort Laramie and from there, head north instead of west to get to Bozeman and from there to Bannack.
Carson had it all planned out. He wanted Maggie to focus on the children. It was a perilous journey, but they finally arrived in Bannack.
"There's a hotel. Why don't you settle in there with the children and I'll go and find our plot?" Carson had instructions to go to the tea shop to talk to Cecilia Dexter about his plot. There was a lot of work to be done.
Maggie had become adept at handling the twins, and she made her way to the hotel without difficulty.
"A new family. How wonderful. Welcome to Bannack, I'm Mrs. Lavery, proprietress of this establishment and you are?" the elderly woman inquired.
"I'm Maggie Edwards, and these little babies are Billy and Jane. My husband has gone to see the woman in the tea shop about our claim," Maggie said as the old lady reached out to take Jane from her arms. Jane was happy to accept the change.
"Cecilia will sort him out. It's much better since she took over the land claims. She did mention a family was coming in although I expected the children to be older. Horace, give Mrs. Edwards the larger room. She'll need the space," Mrs. Lavery directed her son.
"Billy has been coughing. I thought the air would be better here. Is there a doctor?" Maggie asked, and Mrs. Lavery said she'd send for him.
"We have a lot of young women like yourself here. I must arrange for you to meet some of them. Horace, send for Dr. McLennon."
Mrs. Lavery showed Maggie to their room. "You're lucky. There's a cabin on the ranch, but it needs some repair. You won't be here for long." Maggie felt relieved to hear this. She wanted space and her own home. The children needed a home.
Mrs. Lavery was correct in her estimation. Maggie was soon in her own home with her husband and children. She had made friends with Cecilia and the doctor's wife, Lottie. Carson was happy with his lot. Three years passed, and while the work was hard, they were content. The children were thriving, and they had made good friends. Carson had got Maggie a dog for her birthday. Lola was a mixed breed, and despite the plan to keep the dog outside as a guard, Lola squirmed her way into the house. She slept on the bedroom floor by Maggie's side. Maggie wanted the children surrounded by animals. It was good development for a child to have an animal to confide in, she told Carson.
"Take Lola. She needs to run," Maggie said that fateful morning. Carson had to check on his herd as there were rumors of rustlers who were knocking down fences and stealing the livestock.
"See you later," he said as he kissed his wife and tousled the children's heads. Lola was a reluctant companion. She began to whimper but Carson was her master, and she followed him.
"Look Lola, another fence down," Carson said as he dismounted to see if he could mend the damage. Lola began to howl. "Shush, girl," he said, but Lola wasn't happy and raced towards the homestead.
"Stupid dog," Carson said as his hand caught on the wire. A gunshot rang out. It wasn't uncommon to hear gunshot around here. It helped to ward off any cattle rustlers or snakes. But the sound had come from the direction of his home.
Carson jumped up on his horse and galloped as fast as he could. His heart stopped as he saw Maggie lying face down on the ground. Little Billy was at her side, "Mama, wake up" and Lola, the dog, whimpered as she ran to Maggie's side. Carson could see the blood pool around Maggie. It was flowing around Billy's feet, and Carson grabbed him and took him into the cabin where little Jane was asleep on the bed.
"Billy, stay with Jane. Papa has to tend to Mama," he said as he closed the door behind him. He ran to Maggie's side, but he knew she was dead. He gathered her into his arms and cried out. Who would have done this to her? Who had killed his dear, sweet Maggie whose only want in life was to be a mother? He could see hoof prints. There had been at least two riders.
Sheriff Lance Dexter had gotten reports of two riders robbing homesteads. He and his deputies decided to ride out to warn the families to be on the look-out. He wanted to call in on his good friend Carson, but when he arrived, he saw Carson kneeling on the ground, rocking back and forth with Maggie in his arms. The children were crying in the cabin, but Carson didn't seem to hear them.
"Carson, you've got to let Maggie go. Let Hank take you to town. Hank, take him to the Lavery Hotel and tell them what's happened. Marvin, let's get Maggie wrapped up and get her to the undertaker. I'll take the children home with me. This blood is dried. She must have died hours ago," Sheriff Lance said as he walked to the cabin and opened the door to find the children side by side, hugging each other.
"You poor little kids," Lance said as he whisked them into his arms. The children sobbed and cried out for their parents. Lance looked around to see if there was any food he could give them. He sat them down, and they ate the bread he had found. He packed a bag of clothes although he knew they had plenty of children's clothes at his home. For now, the children needed stability and Carson was too distraught to deal with them on his own.
Cecilia was used to her husband coming home at all hours. As the Sheriff, he could be called upon at any time, and she made sure there was always hot water and a warm meal for him. Word had spread about the tragedy that had befallen their friends.
"Lance, they're frozen. Get me some blankets," she said as she took Jane. Her friend, Lottie, arrived and took little Billy from Lance.
"The poor children. Hamish has given Carson some sedative. He told Hamish he found Billy by his mother's dead body," Lottie said as she and Cecilia hugged the children and wrapped them up to keep them warm.
"What are we going to do, Lance? Will you be able to get whoever did this?" Cecilia asked. She wanted justice for the children who had lost their mother.
"I don't know, Cec. They could be in Wyoming by now."
"What will happen now? Do you think Carson will be able to cope with the children on his own?" Lottie asked. Her own children were a little older than Billy and Jane. She wasn't sure her own husband, Hamish, would cope without her. Children needed a mother.
"We have to let the dust settle. Carson is still in shock, and for now, we can take turns minding the children. We have to do what we can," Cecilia was a practical type, but she didn't like thinking Maggie's death would go unavenged.
It was a terrible state of affairs. As the children were being cared for, Carson woke up in a sweat. It was dark. He had this dreadful dream where his Maggie had been murdered. He reached his hand over to feel for Maggie, but she wasn't there. His eyes became accustomed to the darkness, but this wasn't his room.
"Noooo," he exclaimed, "it wasn't a dream. Maggie, why did you leave me?" He didn't know how he was going to get on without Maggie. Then he thought about the children. Where were they? He threw back the covers and opened the door. He was in the hotel.
He ran down the stairs. Horace was still at the reception desk.
"Where are my children?" Carson screamed.
"I think the Sheriff has them," Horace squeaked, afraid of what Carson might do to him. Carson ran out the door and over to the coffee shop where he raced up the back stairs to the overhead living quarters and banged on the door.
"Shush, you'll wake the children," Lance said as he opened the door. "Carson, the children are safe. They're asleep."
"They're okay? You’re not just saying that?" Carson asked. Afraid that his whole world had fallen apart.
"If you promise to be quiet, I'll show you." Carson followed Lance to the bedroom and there he saw his little children asleep, tucked in with Lance and Cecilia's own children. "I'm doing everything I can to find out who did this to Maggie," Lance said as he escorted Carson back to the living area.
"Why don't you stay here? I'll get a blanket," Cecilia had woken with the commotion.
"Why didn't I leave the dog with Maggie? Lola would have defended her, and she'd still be alive," Carson sobbed as Cecilia and Lance looked at each other, not knowing how to comfort their friend.
Chapter Three
Billy and Jane were shuffled back and forth between Lottie and Cecilia. The children had taken recent events in stride but tended to be quiet, only talking to each other. Carson didn't seem able to cope with having them at home. It was time for Lottie and Cecilia to do something.
"This can't go on, Lottie. Carson must figure something out and soon. We can't keep shuffling the children between our homes. It isn't fair on any of us," Cecilia said.
"I know but what can we do. Carson does have a lot of work to do and can't care for the children. Should we look at hiring some help for him?" Lottie asked. Her heart went out to the children who lost their mother. She couldn't bear the thought of being separated from her children. She had four, including one set of twins. Her twins were very close, and she could see that same bond between Billy and Jane.
"I don't know if hiring someone is the right plan. What if the woman has designs on marrying Carson? We should put the children's needs first. Anyhow, I doubt Mrs. Lavery would agree to a single woman living with Carson, even if she is hired help. We could get him a wife, but she must know her reason for being here is for the children. What do you think if we put an advertisement in the Matrimonial Times?" Cecilia took a pencil and pad from her apron pocket.
"Cec, shouldn't we tell Carson about our plan?" Lottie was hesitant about interfering and wanted to do things right.
"No, Lottie. He'll say no. Better to ask forgiveness than permission, I say. Let's come up with something. She'll have to know there's no romantic relationship but we still have to give some enticement. How about this, Loving mother figure wanted for three-year-old twins. Mother recently deceased. Single lady. Must be aged 18 to 22. Must be healthy. Practical arrangement. Comfortable home included. Send replies to C. Edwards, Bannack. How does that sound? Let's sleep on it and have it wired tomorrow," Cecilia said as Lottie left to go home. The twins were staying with Cecilia.
Morning came, and Cecilia wired the advertisement to the Matrimonial Times. She paid the clerk to divert any replies for C. Edwards to her. She didn't want Carson to be bothered with having to decide, she explained. They told themselves this was a good thing they were doing for the Edwards.
They'd deal with Carson's reactions before the woman got here. He wasn't in the best frame of mind to make any decision. After all, the woman would come to Bannack to raise children and keep a home, and who was a better judge of that than Lottie and Cecilia. They prayed to the Lord that the right woman would come their way.
Meantime in New York, Sarah managed to get some time away from the house. She had answered some advertisements, but no one had replied back to her. She was beginning to think her destiny would be to remain in this house forever. Sarah closed her eyes and asked the Lord to guide her hand. She opened her eyes to find herself looking at the Matrimonial Times. The newspaper vendor shook his head at the young woman's strange antics as she paid for the paper.
The advertisements fascinated Sarah. She had a wonderful imagination that never got exercised. As she read the requests to find a significant other, she wondered about the people who wrote the ads and those who responded. What made a reply stand out, she asked herself.
An advertisement caught her eye. Twins, three years old, had lost their mother. How sad, Sarah thought. Her niece and nephew would be three by now. She hoped whoever had them loved them as she did. This was the job for her. Strange to put a practical job in a matrimonial newspaper, she thought. This was the job she wanted. Sarah ran to the nearest Western Union office to send a reply. As each word cost fifty cents, she kept what she needed to say at a minimum.
Lost mother as a child. Healthy and can care for the twins. I am 18, single. God-fearing woman. Housemaid. Available now.
Sarah Smith
Sarah reviewed what she could afford to send. She hoped being deprived of a mother would be in her favor because she could understand what the children were feeling. She had no ties and could focus entirely on the children. Sarah didn't contemplate the notion of having a family of her own.
Cecilia was excited to receive the first batch of replies. She and Lottie sat across from each other to review them.
"I wonder if this is how our men felt receiving our letters," Lottie smiled, but then her face clouded as she remembered how the man she had written to had been murdered before her arrival to Bannack. Cecilia didn't want to remember the past too much either. Her beloved first husband had died shortly after her arrival. He had been her savior in many ways.
"Stop maudlin, Lottie McLennon. We've work to do."
Cecilia opened the first couple of replies and cast them aside. Lottie looked at her.
"Why aren't you reading them?" she inquired.
"I don't like their names. Remember, Lottie, this woman will be our friend and has to replace Maggie. That's not easy to do. We can come back to them if no one else appeals."
Lottie rolled her eyes. She was glad Cecilia hadn't been judging her reply.
"Here's one," Cecilia said, "she twenty and a nurse."
"No, she'll make plans to work with Hamish, and I don't want some young woman around him," Lottie said. She was feeling a little self-conscious lately about her figure. Cecilia was still willowy and guffawed at Lottie's insecurities. "You are a silly thing. Hamish still looks at you like he did the very first day he met you. Anyway, aren't we looking for a wife for Carson?"
"Now, listen to this. This girl, Sarah, lost her mother when she was young. That's good. She'll relate to the twins and hopefully, know how to be what she was missing in a mother. Is eighteen a little young to become an instant mother?" Cecilia asked.
"We'll reply to her and see what she says. The sooner, the better I think. That home needs a mother, and the children need security. Ask her to come."
"Don't you think we should correspond a few more times? Just to make sure she's the right person." Lottie didn't want to make a mistake. It wouldn't be fair to the children to lose another mother figure.
"That's a good point. But we can't go on months trying to see if she's a right fit. We won't know until she gets here. I think she needs to come now. Remember, we both had reasons for coming here and didn't want to wait. Let's send the two of them a question. Let's ask what they think a child needs most. I don't want those children raised by some authoritarian. I had that all my life and Maggie wouldn't want that for Billy and Jane."
Cecilia and Lottie still didn’t tell Carson their plans. It was too soon, and besides, they still hadn't decided on who was the best choice.
Sarah's hands shook as she opened the envelope. "What's that? Who'd be writing to you?" Cook asked annoyed that Sarah had received a telegram.
"I have an aunt," Sarah said as she walked away, puzzled by the question posed. What was the most important thing a child needed? This was a very bizarre question. It was love. Who could thrive
without love? Sarah was anxious to send a reply, but Cook was now calling her to do various jobs. None of which were urgent or important, only a ruse for Cook to delay Sarah responding to the wire.
She'd have to wait until Cook fell asleep which was usually in the afternoon after her tipple. Sarah took her chance to send off her telegram. She hoped it was what her future employer wanted.
In Bannack, Cecilia went to the Western Union office. The usual clerk wasn't there. She frowned, not quite sure of whether to ask if any wire had come for C. Edwards.
"Why, yes, ma'am and I've given it to Mr. Edwards already," the replacement clerk smiled cheerfully. Cecilia rushed out and looked up and down the street. Lottie had the children. He was bound to be with them now. She ran as fast as she could, but it was too late. She could see Carson showing the two letters to Lottie. Cecilia could see by his body language that he was angry and Lottie was trying to calm him down.
"Carson, we've only done it for your own good. Come inside and stop making a scene. You're frightening the children," Cecilia took control and managed to get Carson inside Lottie's house. They sat around the table, Hamish included, and Cecilia and Lottie told them what they'd done. Carson was still annoyed. How could they think he'd want to marry again? Hamish chastised them for not telling Carson of their plan.
"But that's just it, Carson. It's the best of both worlds. It's not a real marriage, in any sense but it's proper in the eyes of the Lord. You can't have a single woman living with you. She would take care of the children and cook and clean. I really think Maggie would approve. She loved those children, and you can't cope as it is and we can't keep taking turns with them. They need to be home, Carson." Cecilia rested her arm on Carson's, and he bent his head low. He was usually such a reasonable man, but he was hurting.