When Tom gets back, I’ll search until I find her. I’ll never give up.
Back in the bedroom, he picked up the baby and laid her on the bed. Then raising Amy, he propped her against the pillows and handed her the mug.
“In the crib are some clothes for Jessica.”
“Jessica?”
“Yes, that’s the name Tom and I chose if the baby was a girl.”
Amy drank the milk in a few gulps, and this seemingly gave her the strength to dress the baby in a white nightgown, and a white knitted jacket. Then she swaddled her in a shawl. “Like to hold your niece?”
“Sure.” Amy handed the baby to him. He was nervous at first, but quickly gained in confidence, and it felt good holding the tiny bundle. The baby’s little mouth was slightly pursed, her eyes blinking sleepily. A rush of tenderness surged through him. He was an uncle. This baby would be the light of his life, the only thing that would keep him sane if he lost Edwina.
“Why did you come over?” Amy suddenly asked.
“To see my beautiful sister, and to apologize for not coming to Thanksgiving.”
“The real reason, brother dear.”
“I…I came over to ask Edwina to marry me, beg her even. Now it could be too late.”
“No, don’t say that. She’ll be so happy. She’s madly in love with you.”
“I don’t know why after the way I’ve acted.” He rocked the baby gently in his arms. If anything happened to Edwina he would never know the joy of fatherhood. If he couldn’t have her, he would spend the rest of his days alone.
“I love her. Oh, Amy, why was I such a fool?” Sheer male pride and stubbornness had cost him dearly.
“Tom and the men will find her. You have to have faith.”
“I think I’ve lost mine,” he said sadly. “It disappeared with Edwina.”
“I know she’ll be all right. Eddy is so brave.”
“What if the horse threw her, and she’s lying dead somewhere?”
Amy’s face blanched, and she looked so anguished and weary, it nearly broke his heart.
“I’d know.” Tears glistened on her lashes. “She’s out there somewhere – alive. I feel it. Put the baby in the crib, I need to sleep now.” Amy slipped down into the bed, and closed her eyes.
Josh didn’t relinquish the baby. She was his lifeline to sanity. “Go to sleep little one,” he crooned. “Your uncle is a fool.”
What if Tom and the men couldn’t find Edwina? What if she was badly injured, praying for rescue that never came? What if she didn’t want to be found? No, the last scenario wasn’t plausible. Edwina might do it to him he thought bitterly, he deserved it, but she would never do such a cruel thing to Amy and Tom. He was convinced she didn’t come back because she couldn’t.
Exhaustion overcame Amy, and she slept. He’d be lucky if he ever closed his eyes again. The baby stirred, so he gently rocked her. “Go to sleep little angel, your mama needs to rest before she attends you.”
What did babies eat? Breast milk from their mothers he supposed. What if Amy couldn’t feed the baby? What would he do? He tried to control his panic. On the one hand, he wanted Tom to be here to take responsibility for his wife and baby. On the other hand, he wanted the search for Edwina to continue.
After a time, he rose from the chair and placed the baby in her crib. I’d better clean up the mess. It would give him something to do, take his mind off Edwina.
He gathered up the bloodied linen, and tossed it into the fire, watching as the hungry flames devoured it. When everything was cleaned to his satisfaction, he ventured outside to replenish the wood box in the parlor. The stove burning in the kitchen, and fires in the parlor and bedroom consumed a lot of logs.
Thankfully, the rain had stopped, but a bitterly cold wind blew down from the snow-capped higher peaks. If Edwina was caught out in the open she could perish in the freezing conditions. Wounded and without shelter, she wouldn’t last long out there. He shuddered thinking about the consequences. Rain would have washed out any tracks she may have left on the ground, increasing the difficulty of finding her.
He tiptoed into the bedroom. Amy and Jessica both slept, so he took the opportunity to make himself a coffee. He stuck a piece of bread on to a fork and toasted it over the fire. Not because he was hungry, it just gave him something to do. Tom would soon return to milk the cows. He couldn’t do it for him because he dared not leave Amy and the baby alone.
The afternoon dragged by. He spent the time replenishing the fire and watching over his sister and niece. As dusk fell he lit the lamps. The baby woke up and started crying. He shot up from his chair, and rushed to the bedroom. Picking the baby up, he cradled her in his arms. “Don’t fret.” He rocked her and the cries turned into whimpers.
“She’s probably hungry,” Amy said, and he spun around on hearing her voice.
“I thought you were still asleep.” He handed the baby over, and turned his back as Amy started to unbutton her nightgown. “Do you want something to eat?” He stared out the window.
“There’s stew left over from last night. I wouldn’t mind some. Heat up the lot. You and Tom will need food, too.”
Josh was in the kitchen when he heard Tom stomping his feet on the porch. He lifted the pot off the stove and strode out to greet him.
“What’s happened? Have you found her?” Tom’s shoulders slumped, so Josh knew he didn’t have good news.
“We couldn’t find any trace of her. It’s as if she’s disappeared off the face of the earth.”
“I’m going out to search for her myself.”
“Dang man, don’t be stupid. It will be black as pitch in about ten minutes. Anyway, what are you doing here?”
Hell’s bells, he’d forgotten Amy.
“I came here to ask Edwina to marry me, and found Amy in distress.”
“Distress?” Tom’s normally ruddy cheeks turned pale.
“It’s all right. Congratulations. You have a daughter.”
“A daughter!”
“Yes, and they’re both doing…”Josh didn’t get to finish the sentence as Tom charged up the stairs.
“Don’t go in there with those dirty clothes on,” he yelled, instinctively taking charge though his heart was breaking. Edwina gone. No, I won’t believe it. I’ll find her.
Tom halted at the bedroom door. “Amy darlin’ are you all right?”
“Oh yes, I am now, thanks to Josh. Look at our beautiful baby daughter. He delivered her.”
“I’ll go and clean up darlin’, before I come in.”
Josh waited on the landing, and Tom nearly knocked him down the stairs as he rushed off. Josh was happy for them, he truly was, but jealous as well. Slumping on the top step he held his head in his hands, closed his eyes and fought against tears. His lovely Edwina, where was she?
In less than five minutes, Tom returned upstairs, and Josh moved to one side to let him pass by. He idly noticed Tom had changed his shirt and trousers.
Plodding down the stairs, he felt about a hundred years old. He was in sea Captain mode now, as he forced himself to return to the kitchen to continue getting the food ready. Dishing up three plates of stew, two coffees and a mug of warm milk for Amy, he returned upstairs.
Tom sat on the bed cradling the baby in one arm, with his other one around Amy. What a beautiful scene. Josh gulped down a lump in his throat.
“I…I…um, here’s your dinner.” He placed the tray on the dresser.
“Thanks. You eat up too, Josh.” Amy was her usual bossy self when it came to him.
“I can never repay you for what you did for my two beautiful gals,” Tom said.
“What about Edwina?” Josh asked.
Tom looked downcast. “We searched everywhere. Simon collected ten men from town and the Cavendish’s and their hands joined us. We all came up with nothing.”
“You must be searching in the wrong place.”
“We all fanned out, and I reckon we covered a fair area from here to the canyon. Not
hing. Tomorrow we’ll head in the opposite direction toward town. Eddy promised to stay near the main road. She’s a smart gal who would have kept her word.”
Josh picked at his meal, but drank the coffee. His brother-in-law was methodical. He’d headed wagon trains for years in all manner of terrains. “I’ve got to do something, Tom. I’ll go crazy sitting here.” He paced the room.
“We can’t do anything until morning. Once my beautiful gals are asleep, we’ll go downstairs, and I’ll draw a map of the area we’ve already searched. We can plot out a search area for tomorrow. I’m sorry, it’s the best we can do.”
“I’ll go down to the parlor and wait for you. You two need privacy.”
Josh strode downstairs to the kitchen. He took a couple of swigs from Tom’s whiskey bottle; the temptation to down the lot to deaden his pain was overwhelming, but he had to keep a clear head so they could make plans for the search tomorrow. He wanted to go out now, but common sense warned him it would be futile. In the driving rain and dark it would accomplish nothing, except maybe injury to his horse or himself.
Chapter Ten
“It be time.” Ma shuffled over to Eddy. “Put this hat on to cover ya hair. None of the women in the cave will know ya be an outsider.” Ma gave a demented cackle. In some ways the old woman appeared normal, but sometimes Eddy wondered about her sanity.
“There be one gal there who don’t wanna go. She be a virgin, and wants to give her maidenhead to her man. She went to the cave straight after her marrying ceremony, so she be willing to swap places with ya.”
“Thank you, I’ll never forget this kindness.” Lizzie was having a nap. The child seemed to sleep a lot. Eddy went over and kissed her cheek. “Goodbye, little one.”
“She not be long for this world.” Ma wiped a tear from her eye.
Shock riveted Eddy to the spot. “What do you mean?”
“She has the sickness.”
“What sickness?”
“Her heart be no good. None of my potions work,” the old woman said, wiping tears from her cheeks. “Come now if ya wanna leave.”
“I…I…”
“Ya can’t help her.” She shook her head. “She be happy while ya be here, but she be happy again once her grandpa comes back. He be with the men at their Swapping. Sells his whiskey at a town near there afore he leaves. Always buys Lizzie candy sticks.”
Ma poked Eddy in the back. “Put this skirt on over ya trousers, and wear this coat. Ya die out in the open without it.”
Eddy put on the old, but reasonably clean woolen skirt. It was too big, but Ma handed her a piece of rope to tie around the waist so it wouldn’t fall down. She put on a stained sheepskin coat, trying not to dwell on the previous owner.
Outside, the freezing wind bit into her face. She shoved her hands into the pockets of the coat as she followed Ma through sloshy mud. The old woman was huddled into a coat similar to the one Eddy wore.
Sleeting rain fell, so no women or children were around. They ducked between two shacks, and headed toward a scarred, rocky cliff face. Behind a huge boulder was an opening about six feet wide. It would have been invisible to anyone who didn’t know it was there.
Eddy’s heart thumped so loudly she wondered if Ma heard it. Her mouth dried up and she had difficulty swallowing.
Still time to pull out of this dangerous venture, but she steeled herself. If she wanted to see Joshua, Amy and Tom again, she had to take the risk. The remote chance of success was better than no chance at all. She’d rather die than be abused by a sadistic creature like Jeb.
They stepped into the cave. Lanterns, set out at intervals along the walls, lit their way. A group of twenty or so women sat or stood around gossiping.
“Where be Winnie?” a young woman asked.
“She being replaced by this one.” Ma slapped Eddy across the back of the neck, and poked her in the shoulder, forcing her forward.
Eddy stumbled but somehow kept her feet.
“Winnie be having her courses.” Ma spat on the floor. “That gal deserves a good whupping. See what happens when ya don’t take my special potion. Git over there.” Ma shoved Eddy again. “She not talk much.”
Ma gave her a hard stare, and a slight nod. Eddy realized the old woman was silently instructing her not to speak. Her voice would give her away as an outsider. The old woman shuffled off.
Eddy retreated into the shadows, as far away from the others as possible, without making it too obvious. Sitting on the ground, she slumped over holding her face in her hands, hopefully the picture of dejection. After a cursory glance the women ignored her.
“Wonder what them Doggett men be like?” a woman mused.
“Better than what I got now, Cissie,” someone else answered, and everyone laughed.
All the females in the canyon seemed to have ‘ie’ on the end of their name. They also had the same sing-song voice. Eddy listened to them, if she had to speak, she would have to try to sound like them.
“What ya name?” The woman called Cissie glanced over at Eddy.
“Eddy.” She raised her voice on the second syllable.
“Ya ain’t very friendly.”
Eddy gave what she hoped was a careless shrug.
A middle-aged man swaggered over to them. “The wagon be ready.”
Eddy stood up, following the other women into a tunnel gouged out of the rocky cliff. They seemed to be heading along a disused railway line. In some places the tracks were intact, in others, the tracks and wooden sleepers were strewn around. After a couple of hundred feet, cold air blew in her face, and natural light appeared.
From the cave, they stepped into a green valley, with several shacks and a large barn. Was that a still? The Nesbitt’s made moonshine, so it probably was. Did the barn hold Simon’s barrels?
The man herded them into a covered wagon. Planks were stretched along each side, with a couple in the middle. Eddy pushed her way to one of the side seats so she would be able to support her back against the wooden sides of the wagon.
A snap of the whip, a curse or two, and the wagon lurched forward. The canvas top had been tied down so she couldn’t see much except a flash of trees now and again. They maintained a steady pace. She had noticed the man wore a gun belt around his waist, and he stowed a rifle under the front seat. Would he shoot her if she made a run for it?
Don’t be foolish, she scolded herself. Be patient and follow Ma’s instructions. The further away from the canyon the safer you’ll be.
No matter what she had to face once she escaped, it had to be better than what would befall her at the Swapping ceremony. It sounded like a religious ritual. Not that these people lived by Biblical law. Did they belong to some pagan religion? Marrying ceremony, Swapping ceremony, it appeared likely. They were certainly not Christians.
She closed her eyes, nervous tension had given her a headache. Her forehead throbbed. What was Joshua doing? Was he out searching for her? Tom and Simon would be. And Amy?
I’m going to miss the birth if I can’t get back within the next few days. Amy had been carrying the baby low, and according to the midwife’s book they had been studying, the birth could be soon. Who would help her? Mrs. Cavendish was the only person who came to mind.
She desperately wanted to be there when Amy’s time came. They had giggled and joked about what they would do, had washed and prepared baby clothing, and sorted out the items they would need for the birth.
Amy, even after such a short time, had become the sister she had always wanted. Tom had become a staunch friend, also.
She mustn’t think of Joshua. He didn’t want her, he had made that patently obvious. Why crave something you could never have? It was foolish loving a man who didn’t return your feelings, but when was love sensible? A woman had no power over who she gave her heart to. All she could do was overcome the pain, try to build a new life. She didn’t need a man. Tennessee beckoned. It would be her bolt-hole, if she ever escaped from here.
“You can do it, Edwin
a Pearson.” Maybe she could get hold of the driver’s rifle. She contemplated the risks, and dismissed the idea. A pity she had lost her own hand gun. That really hurt, because Pa had given it to her.
What about poor little Lizzie? She sniffed back tears. Maybe her passing wouldn’t be so bad. Ma was an old woman, and once she died what would befall the child? She shuddered to think. Her grandfather apparently doted on her as well, but how could an old man bring up a little girl on his own? The most likely scenario would be her father taking her, and anything was better than that. If only they had released her, and let her take Lizzie away. Amy and Tom would have welcomed the child.
Having Lizzie to look after would ease the pain of not ever having children of her own. Joshua. Everything revolved around him. He hadn’t meant to, but he had ruined her life. She closed her eyes, maybe it would help her headache, and lift the burden of sadness.
She woke with a start as the wagon lurched to a halt.
“Git out and stretch ya legs. I wanna rest the horses. We’ll have coffee and beans. There be nothing else until we reach the springs.”
Eddy was last to leave the wagon. Maybe there was a chance of escape. She glanced around; her hopes shattered into a million pieces. They were in a small clearing, surrounded by thick forest. There was an opening between the trees, just big enough for the wagon to pass through, but if she wandered off she would be swallowed up, never to be seen again. Yellow dirt crunched under her feet. The rain had stopped, but an icy wind whistled through the trees.
She trudged over to where the other women huddled, waiting for the driver to get the fire going. He went up in her estimation when he put nose bags on the horses first.
He was quick and efficient, and soon had a fire burning, and a couple of coffee pots heating. He opened a tin of beans and tipped them into a pan. Within a short time, the driver was pouring coffee into tin mugs, and handing them around. “Help yaself to the beans.”
Eddy wrapped her freezing hands around the mug, gratefully inhaling the steamy aroma. She took a tentative sip before walking over to help herself to a plate of beans. She wasn’t hungry, didn’t care if she never ate again, but forced herself to eat to keep up her strength in readiness for the coming ordeal. She sat down. The other women stood around the fire, but didn’t seem to mind her standoffishness or lack of eye contact with them.
Edwina: Bride of Connecticut (American Mail-Order Brides 5) Page 10