Brave Beginnings

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Chogan gritted his teeth. If Ernest hurt Julia in any way, he’d pay for it. He headed for the train and tried not to think of all the things Ernest might be doing to Julia. She was no cowering woman. She’d stand up to him, and that worried Chogan. But she was smart. She’d figure a way to bide her time until Chogan got there. After all, she left the strands of petticoats and wrote Jamestown on the side of the shack because she was outfoxing Ernest. If she could keep that up, she would very well survive. I’m coming, Julia. Nothing will keep us apart. He wouldn’t be able to rest until Julia was in his arms again.

  ***

  As Ernest and Julia arrived in Jamestown, he leaned toward her and whispered, “Don’t let people see your face. We don’t want to attract undue attention.”

  Julia obediently pulled the scarf up to her nose and lowered the bonnet. The effect was nearly suffocating in the hot weather. Ernest had her change into her clean clothes that morning, saying he didn’t want to be seen with a woman in soiled rags, and she went along with his wishes, hoping once they got to Jamestown, she’d never have to do anything else he wanted ever again. While she changed, he had put on a blond wig and beard to hide his identity as much as possible. As much as she hated to admit it, he did a good job of looking like someone else. One would have to give him a careful look to recognize him.

  Now as she glanced at the people loitering about on the main street, she wondered if any might help her escape. Surely, there must be some place she might go, somewhere she might hide until Chogan found her.

  Ernest pulled the buggy in front of a hotel. “We’ll stay here tonight.” He brought his hand to the small of her back, and she stayed still, resisting the urge to recoil from him. “Don’t say anything when we get in there, hmmm? No need to arouse suspicions.”

  All she could manage was a nod. He parked the buggy and got out. She lifted the scarf long enough to inhale the fresh air before she set it back in place. He went over to her side, so she gritted her teeth and accepted his hand. Her body was still sore from his harsh treatment of her in the barn and then from sleeping on the ground at night, but she bit back the pain and followed him into the hotel. When he motioned for her to stay in the shadows, she did and waited. Her pulse pounded with nervous energy as she peered out the window and took note of the businesses lining the main street. Surely, there must be a place to hide in one of those buildings.

  “May I help you, sir?” a man called out.

  She looked at Ernest who smiled at the innkeeper.

  “My wife and I would like a room for the night,” Ernest said.

  The man glanced her way. If he thought her apparel was odd, he didn’t give any indication of it. Instead, he turned the ledger around and handed Ernest a pen. “Sign your name here, and I’ll get your key.”

  She held her breath. Key? As in one room? She placed a hand over her stomach and fought the bile that rose up in her throat. There was no way she could handle Ernest touching her the way husbands touched their wives—the way Chogan had touched her. The tiny flutter in her womb reminded her that as long as she was with child, she was safe in that regard. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her abdomen where the small mound gave physical evidence of her condition, but no one could tell when she wore her clothes.

  Ernest signed the ledger and took the key. “Thank you.”

  “Is your wife alright, sir?” the man softly asked.

  Ernest glanced in her direction. “The poor thing isn’t well. Days on the buggy has made her ill.”

  “Oh, that’s unfortunate. You might want to go to the general store and pick up something to settle her stomach. Mrs. Coley has some medicine stocked up over there.”

  “That’s a good idea. Thank you, sir. We’ll do that.” Ernest pocketed the key and looked expectantly at her. “Come along, dear. We’ll get the medicine for you now so you don’t have to spend the night uncomfortable.”

  With one last look at the innkeeper who didn’t seem to suspect anything was wrong, Julia joined Ernest and walked with him to the buggy where he retrieved his carpet bag.

  “Don’t worry, Julia. When we get to Canada, I’ll buy you a wardrobe fit for a queen. You’ll be the envy of all women.”

  She took a deep breath to avoid screaming that she didn’t want anything he could give her. She just wanted to go back to Chogan and live her simple life. It might not have been one filled with luxuries, but she was loved by a man worth loving.

  Ernest took her by the elbow and led her down the street. “We’ll get something to take back to the room to eat.”

  Julia took note of the businesses, trying to memorize where each one was in case she needed to run to one and hide.

  He stopped and nodded toward the general store as they approached it. “Do what you did back at the hotel. Stay quiet and out of the way.”

  She nodded. What else could she do at this point? The time wasn’t right to act.

  He opened the door for her, and she noticed the clinging of the bell as she walked in. An older woman at the counter looked up, and though she seemed to wonder about Julia’s apparel, she called out a polite greeting.

  Ernest followed Julia inside and tipped his hat. “Hello, ma’am.”

  “My name is Mrs. Coley,” the woman replied, still examining Julia. “Is there anything I can help you find?”

  “We’ll look around,” Ernest replied.

  Mrs. Coley nodded and set aside a catalogue she was reading. “I need to retrieve something from the backroom, but I’ll be right back should you need assistance.”

  “Thank you.”

  Julia bit her lower lip. Did the woman suspect something? She glanced at Ernest who motioned for her to follow him down the aisle.

  “I’m afraid we’re stuck with simple bakery items to eat until we’re on the train tomorrow,” he whispered.

  Deciding not to comment, she scanned the rows as they walked through the store.

  Mrs. Coley came out from the backroom and glanced in Julia’s direction. Julia stopped as Ernest inspected the shelves in front of him. The worried expression on Mrs. Coley’s face gave her hope. Maybe Mrs. Coley would help her. A young woman emerged from the backroom and walked over to Julia and Ernest while Mrs. Coley left the store.

  “Good afternoon,” the young woman greeted, glancing from Julia to Ernest and back again. “I’m Ann Brothers.”

  Ernest turned his attention to her. “Ben Wilkins.” Putting his arm around Julia’s shoulders, he said, “This is the little missus, Charlotte.”

  Julia wished she could shove his arm away. Every time he touched her, she thought she was going to vomit.

  The bell above the door rang, and they turned their attention to an older man who hurried over to them. “Sir, is that buggy in front of the hotel yours?”

  Ernest nodded. “Yes. I am allowed to park there, am I not?”

  “You’re fine there, but your horse got loose. I’ll help you retrieve it,” the man said.

  Ernest hesitated and glanced at Julia. With a heavy sigh, he replied, “Alright.”

  As he and the man rushed out of the store, Julia’s heart leapt. Was this it? Her chance to escape?

  Ann reached out and touched her arm. “Do you need help?”

  Mrs. Coley hurried back into the store and ran over to where they stood. “Is he hurting you?”

  Julia nearly cried with relief as she lowered the scarf and brought the hat up so they could see her face. As they gasped, Julia said, “That man I came in with tried to kill my husband and abducted me. Please help me.”

  After a second of stunned silence, Mrs. Coley nodded. “Of course, we’ll help. You can hide in the backroom.”

  Julia quickly took her necklace off and handed it to Mrs. Coley. “Can you put my necklace in the window display? My husband is looking for me. He’ll recognize this. Oh, and he’s full blooded Indian. You can’t miss him. His name is Chogan. He’ll ask for Julia. That’s my name,” she quickly explained, in a hurry to get as much information to them as p
ossible before Ernest returned.

  Mrs. Coley clasped the necklace to her chest. “That’s terrible.” She looked at Ann. “We’ll have to tell the marshal.”

  “The man’s coming back,” Ann whispered.

  Julia lowered her hat and wrapped the scarf securely around her face.

  Mrs. Coley slipped the necklace into her pocket and passed the two men as they entered the store.

  Ernest didn’t hide his displeasure. “Mr. Coley, I appreciate your desire to help me but that was not my buggy.”

  Ann snatched an ointment from the shelf and nudged Julia in the side. Clearing her throat, she said, “This might help with any aches you have. Mrs. Carson swears by it. She says it works like a charm.”

  Ernest walked over to them and asked Julia, “What do you need ointment for?”

  Julia swallowed. “It’s from the buggy ride. I’m sore in certain places I’d rather not discuss.”

  He seemed hesitant to believe her but sighed. “Alright. We’ll take the ointment.” He took it from Ann who stepped back. “We’d like a couple of things to eat. Do you have anything or do I need to go to the bakery?”

  “We have a few items in stock,” Ann replied, her voice revealing only a slight tremble that Julia prayed he wouldn’t notice. “Will you follow me?”

  Ernest took Julia by the arm. “Yes, please show us.”

  Ann glanced from Ernest to Julia before she turned around and led them to another aisle. The door opened again and Mrs. Coley returned to the store. While Ann pointed out the pastry items on one of the shelves, Mrs. Coley strolled over to them and stood close to Julia.

  “Mrs. Russell makes the best tart you’ve ever tasted,” Mrs. Coley said.

  Ann nodded and picked up the box. “Mrs. Coley’s right. I can’t do it justice, and believe me, I’ve tried.”

  While Ernest checked out the box, Mrs. Coley slipped something to Julia. Julia’s hand clasped the bottle and crossed her arms so she could hide it. Ernest decided on a few pastries and paid for them, keeping Julia close by his side. As Ernest and Julia left, she caught sight of Mrs. Coley’s and Ann’s worried expressions. She took comfort in knowing these kind women were doing what they could to help her without arousing Ernest’s suspicions.

  “This is a strange town,” Ernest muttered as the door shut behind him. “Thank goodness we don’t have to live here.”

  Julia walked with him past the store window and saw that Mrs. Coley was placing the necklace in plain sight. She smiled at Mrs. Coley but doubted the woman noticed because of the scarf that covered her mouth.

  Once they got to their hotel room, Ernest took off his wig and beard and put them on the table. Rubbing his face, he said, “Those things are uncomfortable, but they do the trick. Take off your hat and scarf and come on over here to eat. I don’t need you going hungry.”

  Julia turned her back to him and took a good look at the bottle. It was laudanum! Excited, she gripped the bottle. Thank you, Mrs. Coley! She quickly took off her hat and scarf and set them over the bottle so Ernest wouldn’t see it. When the time was right, she’d use it. Then she could safely escape.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 39

  Chogan still couldn’t walk fast without aggravating his wounded shoulder and chest, so Citlali and Erin slowed their pace. Chogan exhaled and turned his attention to the street in Jamestown that seemed to be pretty well-trafficked, but he figured people were getting off work and needed to do last minute business before the stores closed.

  Chogan inhaled and winced. “I have to rest.” It was painful to admit such a thing. He’d once spent a full hour in pursuit of a buffalo, but now he couldn’t walk through an entire town.

  Citlali motioned to a bench. “Sit and we’ll continue down this street and come back for you.”

  Chogan nodded as Citlali and Erin headed down the street. With a long sigh, he carefully stepped forward, not wishing to irritate his wounds any more than he already had. As he headed toward the bench, something from a store window caught his eye. He stopped and walked over to it, his heart beat picking up as the familiar object came fully into view. Julia’s necklace! She was here!

  He turned to call out to Citlali and Erin, but they were already a good ways down the street, and he didn’t have the energy to yell. What did it matter? They would return and he could talk to them then. Right now he had to find Julia!

  He hastened into the store, the bell ringing above his head to signal his arrival. He was so close. She wouldn’t leave her necklace here unless she was nearby, perhaps even in this store!

  Two women ran out from the backroom and the older one clasped her hands over her chest, looking excited. “Are you Chogan?”

  “Yes.” If this woman knew his name, then she must have talked to Julia! “Is Julia here? She’s my wife, and that’s her necklace.”

  “Not at the moment, but we expect her shortly. She had to leave with the man who abducted her, but we gave her some laudanum to put him to sleep so she could get away from him. She’s coming back here as soon as she can. That was an hour ago. It shouldn’t be too much longer, or at least we hope not. They left with some things to eat, so they’ll need to drink something.”

  “Where did they go?” he asked, forgetting the pain and travail of the past week.

  “We’re not sure,” the older woman said.

  He groaned.

  “I’m sorry, but we have to wait for her to come here. We gave her the laudanum, so it shouldn’t be too long.”

  He hurried to the window and peered out of it. Looking at the hotels that lined the street, he wondered if he had enough strength to go to all of them and ask if anyone saw Julia or Ernest. Glancing at the necklace, he picked it up and returned to the women.

  “Can I wait here then?” he asked.

  “You’re welcome to,” the older woman replied. “My name is Mrs. Coley and this is Ann Brothers.”

  He nodded. “Thank you.” Remembering his wounds, he scanned the store. “Do you have a place where I can sit? I was shot recently and have trouble standing for too long.”

  “Oh, sure. There’s a chair in the backroom. I’ll show you where it is.”

  Praying the woman was right and he’d be seeing Julia before the day was over, he followed her.

  ***

  Julia stood over Ernest who had his eyes closed. He was slouching back in the chair, his head resting against the back of it. She stared at him for a long moment, gauging the rhythm of his breathing. It seemed to be even and deep.

  “Ernest?” she whispered.

  He didn’t respond.

  Taking a shaky breath, she reached out and tapped his arm and quickly stepped back. When she didn’t see him move, she nudged him again, this time using more force, but he fell to the floor. She yelped and took a few steps back. Holding her breath, she waited for a good minute, afraid it was too good to be true—that the laudanum had actually worked and he was in a deep sleep. She glanced at the empty cup that had contained the coffee and sleeping agent. He drank it all, and that made her hopeful he wouldn’t wake for a while.

  Ernest remained still on the floor. He was on his stomach and snoring. Breathing a prayer of thanks, she searched the room for something to tie him up with in case he woke up. The only thing that seemed like a viable option was the cords holding the curtains back. She retrieved the cords and tiptoed over to him. Easing onto the floor, she grabbed the chair leg and brought it to his wrist. Trying to be gentle so as not to disturb him, she successfully tied his wrist to the chair, using a knot Chogan had showed her to use. At the thought she might finally be seeing Chogan again—and very soon, a surge of adrenaline shot through her. She extended his other arm to the bed and worked on tying his wrist up.

  Ernest murmured and stirred. Startled, she dropped the cord before she could make the knot and bolted out of the room. It was now or never. If he woke up and saw that she was tying him to the furniture, she’d lose this opportunity to get away. She hurried down the steps
of the hotel.

  The hotel manager looked up at her. “Is something wrong, miss?”

  Ignoring him, she ran out of the hotel and down the street toward the general store. Her feet pounded onto the road as she darted across the street, not bothering to check if someone was riding their horse through town or not. She was almost free. If she could just make it, she’d be with Chogan! The general store came into view and she made it to the boardwalk. She wove in and out of the people milling about, sure she looked like a terrible sight with no hat or scarf to hide her bruises or unkempt hair, but how she looked was the least of her worries.

  By the time she reached the general store, she was out of breath. She took one glance back, reassured when she didn’t see Ernest anywhere. As she opened the door, the bell rang and she slipped into the place. Mrs. Coley and Ann turned from where they were stocking the shelves, but Julia’s attention shifted to Chogan who hurried out of the backroom.

  She cried in relief and ran into his arms which circled her in a protective hug. “You found me,” she sobbed, unable to control the tears that ran down her cheeks and wet his shirt. “I knew you’d find me.”

  Stroking her back, he whispered, “There are bruises on your face. Where else did he hurt you?”

  She gulped and clung to him, knowing he wouldn’t like the answer but realizing she had to tell him. “He hit my arms and kicked me in the back and sides.”

  His voice tense, he asked, “Did he do anything more personal?”

  It took her a moment to realize he meant rape. “No, thank goodness.”

  He held her tighter to him and brushed her hair from her face and tilted her head back so he could get a better look at her. “Do your arms, sides and back look like your face?”

  She noted the anger in his voice. Stepping back from him, she pulled up her sleeves and showed him the series of bruises on her arms. “I can only assume so. I haven’t been able to look in a mirror at the other bruises.”