Tainted Dreams

by Christi Corbett

  Kate nodded.

  "Stands to reason it's fake too."

  "Jim from the Champoeg land office assured me it was real, and that you would be able to tell me where it was." She was stretching the truth, but decided in this case the end justified the means.

  Claude took the paper from her hands and set it on his desk without a glance. "I don't view it as legal for a claim to be made out west, then brought east and sold."

  "I don't know that it is either," Kate replied. "However, it's a tough thing to enforce, especially since we're only a territory and not officially part of America. Yet." She paused to take a calming breath and then asked the question her future hinged upon. "Is it real?"

  With an exaggerated sigh, he hunched over the paper and studied it for nearly a minute. He then retrieved the same map he'd used with Mark, titled Oregon City Region. After comparing the two documents for what felt to Kate like an eternity, he finally looked up again. "The description seems off. It could be a simple mistake. Men draw the landmarks from memory and errors are common."

  "What does that mean?"

  Claude shrugged. "Nothing, if you have a good relationship with your neighbor. If not, you'll be back in here wanting me to redraw your boundaries."

  "So it's real?"

  He nodded.

  Kate's knees wobbled and she put a steadying hand on the edge of his desk. "You're certain?"

  "Without a doubt."

  "Thank you!" She straightened and reached for the deed, eager to return it to the safety of her pocket.

  "Hold on there, little lady." To her dismay, Claude smirked and held the paper just out of her reach. "To you, it's worth nothing."

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Lies and Consequences

  "I don't understand," Kate said, eyeing her deed clasped in Claude's hand. "You just confirmed it's real, so why would you then say it's worth nothing?"

  "You need to listen better." Claude grinned. "I said it's worth nothing to you."

  "Because I'm a woman?"

  He nodded. "Exactly."

  Kate wasn't a proponent of lying and didn't do it often or well, but she did know one thing—consistency was the key to not getting caught.

  "Mr. Johnson, it seems I should have explained my situation clearer. I am married, but my husband hasn't arrived yet. He sent me west with the deed so I could set up our household before he got here next spring. I've already explained this to Jim from your Champoeg office. He understood my problem and wanted to help, but couldn't since he didn't have the correct maps. He knew you would, which is why I'm standing before you today."

  "Hey!" a familiar gruff voice echoed across the room. "Why'd you tell me you weren't married?"

  Kate closed her eyes as she realized she'd overlooked one important fact—only four days ago she'd adamantly affirmed her single status to many of the men in this room.

  She clenched her teeth and spun on her heel. The fur trapper, Rob, stood near the doorway with his arms crossed and the fox face hat perched atop his head. Thankfully he seemed more amused than angry.

  She heard the scrape of chair legs against the floor and turned to see Claude, now standing, though he was so short Kate couldn't see much difference.

  "You'll soon see I don't take kindly to being lied to," he muttered, then hopped onto his chair to address the room, arms outstretched.

  "This deceitful woman wants to take what you've earned. She's come in here trying to wheedle her way into owning what belongs to you, your brothers, and your sons."

  "What's that?" asked Mark, his tone more curious than angry.

  "Gentlemen, she's after your land."

  Taking advantage of Claude's position, Kate snatched her deed from his desk before he could stop her and then whirled to face the room again. "I have no intention of taking anything from any of you. All I'm after is what's rightfully mine, and I have the paperwork here to prove my ownership."

  Another man stepped forward and tapped his finger against the deed. "Where did you get this?"

  "My father gave it to me, minutes before he died." She heard a hint of hysteria in her voice and forced herself to calm before continuing. "Claude has confirmed it's real, and as soon as he does his job and tells me where to find my claim, I'll happily be on my way."

  Worried more men would attempt to touch the deed or even snatch it away, she quickly folded it and slid it into her pocket.

  "I'm not telling her anything," Claude replied, hopping down from his perch back to the floor. "Now, if she finds herself a husband and brings him in here, I'll be happy to tell him everything I know."

  A grizzled man rushed forward and dropped to one knee before her. "Ma'am, I'll marry you right now."

  His earnest expression softened Kate's indignation. She leaned over and whispered a gentle refusal, then held out her hand to help him rise. He waved off her assistance and slowly got to his feet.

  "What'd she say, Jonathan?" someone shouted from the back of the room.

  Jonathan’s kindly smile turned leering. "That I was too much of a man for her to handle."

  "I said nothing of the sort!" Kate insisted. Her denial was quickly lost in the rising din of the crowd. Amidst guffaws of laughter, several men began calling out their own offers of marriage, and two of the worst-looking ones took the opportunity to inch closer.

  Kate clutched the knife handle in her right hand and raised her left hand to her mouth. After placing two fingers against her tongue and teeth, she filled her lungs and blew a piercing whistle that silenced the room.

  "I don't intend to waste any more of your time,” she said. “Or mine." With a measured calm she didn't feel, she turned her back on the crowd to focus on Claude. Crossing her arms over her chest, she gave him the sternest glare she could muster. "Where is my claim?"

  He shook his head, but stayed quiet.

  Kate eyed the Oregon City Region map lying so temptingly close on the desktop. Desperation told her to grab it and flee the building, but reality kept her still.

  She'd never make it through the door.

  Claude let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm responsible for upholding the law, and the law says only men can make claims."

  "Actually, you're making an assumption based on precedent already set in the states, but since we're only a territory there's no official law regarding women owning land."

  A man who'd spent his time leaning against a nearby wall straightened to address the room. "She's a fancy talker, ain't she?"

  Kate warily focused her attention on the burly stranger, who had a gap between his front teeth wide enough to run a pencil through and an angry scar that ran along his neck from one ear to the other. "Not fancy, just informed."

  "There's one thing I can't figure out about you," he said, crossing the room to stand before her.

  Kate blinked fast but held her ground. "What?"

  "You've got what it takes to make more money in one night than any of us in this room could hope to make in a month. Maybe even a year." He tapped the brim of her hat none too gently. "Smart girl like you should know better than to hide your best assets under baggy clothes."

  Kate's cheeks warmed, but uncertainty kept her still. "What are you implying?"

  "Accompany me to the upper floor of the saloon and I'll gladly empty my pocketbook to get you writhing beneath me for the rest of the day."

  She slapped him across the cheek. Hard.

  Would the impropriety and crude behavior toward her never end? Was she destined to hear vulgarities for the rest of her life, simply because she was a woman? A woman who'd dared to go after what was rightfully hers?

  Rob the trapper appeared at her side, his eyes snapping with fury. "Too far, Wade. This here is a respectable woman, and you've gone too far."

  Instead of slinking away, Wade leaned in close. "Respectable women are the downfall of soiled doves. Take some friendly advice from me and all the other men in here who appreciate generous women of questionable moral standing—go back east."

&n
bsp; She planted her fists to her hips. "No."

  Wade snorted, but to her relief he returned to leaning against the wall. After murmuring her thanks to Rob for defending her, she faced the room.

  "Though my appearance and actions might suggest otherwise, I am a lady and deserve to be treated as such. While I understand I don't have your support, I demand your respect."

  With her back straight and her head high, Kate marched through the subdued crowd and out the front door.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Overeager Witness

  As the sun was taking leave from the sky, Jake rode his horse back into Oregon City. He'd spent the previous night sleeping in the doorway of the land office, had made his claim just past first light, and then spent the rest of the day learning the particulars of his property.

  He was thrilled with almost everything it offered—woods, fertile flatlands, and water. Located three miles from the edge of the city, the southeast corner was a hillside with enough trees to build a substantial cabin and stable, and still have plenty left standing for shade and cover. Or, if he chose to wait on the cabin and focus instead on plowing fields for the following spring's crops, he could take up residence in the dilapidated dugout someone had built long ago at the base of the hill, probably with the intention of it being a root cellar.

  The northwest corner boasted another hill, though it was dotted with shrubs instead of trees. The majority of his property lay between the hillsides—a wide valley perfect for raising cattle, crops, or both. A vigorous creek entered his claim at the eastern edge and continued across the center of the valley until it exited at the southwest corner about a hundred yards away from a massive, solitary oak tree.

  The only thing his claim was missing was the one thing he wanted most of all—Kate by his side.

  He rode Plug to the doorway of the livery, hopped down from his saddle, gathered the reins, and led him down the aisle. As usual, Mark poked his head over the door of the stall he was cleaning. "Howdy, Jake!"

  Jake waved and continued on to Plug's stall. "How are Nickel and the four other horses doing? Any problems?"

  "Nope," Mark replied. "Did you get your claim today?"

  "Sure did." Jake pulled a brush from the wooden shelf on the wall and got to work.

  Mark appeared at Plug's stall door. "Got what you wanted?"

  "Sure did," he repeated, grinning. Mark tended to ramble, but he was a responsible young man with a solid head on his shoulders. And he took excellent care of the horses, which Jake appreciated.

  Mark let out a low whistle. "You sure did miss a good show at the land office today."

  "What happened?" asked Jake, more out of courtesy than interest.

  "You know the woman who owns those horses you're always asking about?" Mark pointed at Nina and Old Dan, and then the two packhorses.

  The brush slipped from Jake's fingers, bounced off the toe of his boot, and landed in the straw. "What about her?"

  Mark grinned and began bouncing from foot to foot as he realized he finally had a story that captured Jake's interest. "Mr. Martin—you always call him Theo—said I could take a long lunch break today and go make a claim for myself, so I left here just after noon and headed to the land office. Didn't have to wait long at all, and I got exactly what I wanted. It's perfect. For starters, it overlooks the Columbia River, and—"

  "What about the woman?" Jake demanded.

  "Oh, yeah." Mark's cheeks reddened and his grin turned sheepish. "Sorry about that. Anyway, she put up a ruckus when she got told she couldn't claim land without a husband."

  Jake's throat and chest tightened. "Who was she there with?"

  Mark shook his head. "No one, far as I could tell. Like I was saying, I got in line to make my claim, not paying much attention to who was standing behind me. After I was done, I turned around so fast I almost knocked her over since she was standing so close. I didn't recognize her at first seeing how she was dressed like a man, but once I caught sight of those pretty green eyes I knew right away who she was."

  Fear for Kate's safety and anger at her actions raged a heated battle in Jake's mind.

  Mark chuckled. "She's got a temper when she's riled, that's for sure. First, she tells everyone in the land office how she's a victim of fraud, then she says whoever stole from her better watch out, and then Claude jumps up on his chair and starts talking about how she's gonna take land from everyone."

  Jake grimaced. "That does sound like a good show."

  "Wait, it gets better!" Mark laughed and clapped his hands together. "So then she talks with Claude until Rob—the guy who always wears the dead fox on his head—yells out that she's not married. She starts ranting about how laws aren't legal out here in the territory, and that makes everyone all kinds of rowdy so she let out a whistle that shut everyone up good."

  "Anything else?" Jake dreaded to hear the answer.

  "So then some guy named Wade comes up and asks why she's not working in the saloon. She didn't care for that too much, so she slapped him right across the cheek and then lectured everyone about how she deserved respect."

  As Mark paused to catch his breath, Jake yanked his hat from his head and began raking his fingers through his hair. Not four days ago she'd seen firsthand the dangers of wandering the town without an escort, but instead of steering clear of danger, she was determined to seek it out. She might as well have kicked a hornet's nest for the all the trouble she'd just stirred up.

  "You know," Mark continued, "come to think of it, seems not many of the other men cared for what Wade said either, because after she left they threatened him and said stuff about him never talking to a lady like that again."

  "What happened next?" Jake asked.

  "While Wade slumped against the wall, holding a handkerchief to his freshly bloodied nose, all the other men started talking about how headstrong and gorgeous she was, and how they actually liked a woman who was willing to stand up for herself."

  "That so?"

  Mark shrugged. "They said it takes a tough kind of woman to survive out here, and she's just the type the west needs."

  Jake groaned.

  Once he'd found out Kate was taking her meals in her room, he'd opted to dine at the restaurant instead of Theo's table. For days he'd eaten his food while listening to amazed men speculate at how someone so tiny could have taken on two beasts like Cyrus and Murray. After her stunt in the land office, Jake figured she'd have at least twenty men besides Theo strongly pursuing her affections.

  "Can you finish brushing Plug and then give him some warm mash?" Jake asked, eager to get to her as soon as possible.

  "Of course."

  At Clara's suggestion he'd avoided Kate for days, figuring time and space was what she needed. But after hearing what she'd been through today, he had to see for himself that she was all right. After he assured himself she was safe and unscathed, then he'd try again to convince her how dangerous it was to walk around unescorted. All she needed to do was ask and he'd take her anywhere she needed to go.

  Jake entered the front door of the hotel and headed directly toward the stairs, but didn't even make it up one step before Clara scurried from the kitchen and halted his progress.

  "Kate has again requested her dinner be sent to her room," she said.

  "I have to see her. It's important."

  "Jake, give her the time she needs." Clara placed her hand on his arm. "She'll be fine. She's a strong woman."

  Jake knew firsthand how strong of a woman she was. He thought back to the day they'd traveled along a winding and icy mountain road. Kate had slipped and fallen, then tumbled down a steep hill until smashing into a tree. She'd gotten a nasty, painful gash in her leg that would have made most grown men weep, yet she'd sat stoically while he'd cleaned rocks from the wound and then stitched it closed.

  He'd been her rescuer and protector countless times as they'd crossed the trail, but now that they'd arrived in Oregon City things were drastically different. Though he was thrilled with he
r willingness and ability to take care for herself, it also made him miserable to realize she was choosing to move on alone, without him by her side.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Similar Tastes

  Sunday, November 19, 1843

  Minutes after the sunrise lit up her room, Kate was up and pacing. After the previous day's calamity in the land office, she didn't dare venture outside the hotel alone again.

  She was at a complete loss as to what to do next.

  Though her father had left her plenty of money, she hated seeing it go toward hotel and livery fees instead of building her future. Albert's job offer was only on an as-needed basis, and wouldn't start until spring. The only thing she knew for certain about her claim was water ran through it, but riding along the banks of every river and creek within twenty miles of Oregon City in the hopes of sighting an abandoned house wasn't practical or safe.

  She missed Jake, and though she'd spent far too many hours staring out the window at the streets below, she hadn't spotted him since he'd left town after making his claim.

  Perhaps he'd left word with Clara on when he expected to return. Eyeing the remains of last night’s dinner still sitting on a serving tray near the door, Kate decided to be helpful and bring it down to the kitchen.

  Within five minutes she'd washed, run a brush through her hair and secured the entire length into a twisted knot at the nape of her neck, and donned the pink dress she'd finished late the previous night.

  Tray in hand, she headed downstairs. And into an empty kitchen.

  Kate's spirits dimmed at the thought of spending yet another day trapped between the walls of her room, then brightened as she recalled the endless adventures sitting on a shelf only one room away.

  Books!

  Keeping her footsteps light so she didn't wake the other guests, Kate walked down the hallway, through the lobby, and slipped through the heavy curtains covering the doorway to the parlor.