by Natalie Dean
"Not a problem at all," was all she could muster.
Lottie yawned. She needed to sleep.
"How inconsiderate of me? You have been traveling for days. I'll escort you back to Mrs. Lavery's. I'm sure she'll want an update in any case."
As they stepped out into the night air, Lottie shivered. From being so hot during the day, the temperatures plummeted in a way she hadn't expected at night. Doctor McLennon took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. Lottie thought this had been the best day of her life. Seeing as how she had never met Frank, she had no actual connection with him. He was just a man in a faraway land that could provide her with escape. Her whole life had been determined by outside forces. Was that about to change?
Could she make a life here for herself? Make decisions for herself? If she stayed, she didn't want the doctor to think it was for him. Flattered as she was by his attention, she wanted to be in control for once in her life. Her feelings for the doctor intrigued her.
"I will see you tomorrow, Miss Cahill. I am very glad to have made your acquaintance." He tipped his hat and bowed as Lottie removed his jacket from her shoulders and gave it to him. She opened the door of the hotel, but as she turned to see him leave, the doctor was looking back. They smiled shyly and went on their separate ways.
Horace was still at the reception desk.
"Miss Cahill, mother will meet you for breakfast. She wanted to await your arrival, but it is rather late," Horace looked at the clock behind him as he spoke. Lottie felt he was judging her, but it didn't bother her. She was content to go to her room.
A comfortable bed awaited her. How wonderful. The few weeks she spent at Mary's had meant sharing her bed. It was no different to being in the orphanage, but Lottie knew she had become a little spoiled at Mr. Peabody's.
As she settled into bed and pulled the covers around her, Lottie sighed. She was her own woman now.
"I'll find out who did this to you, Frank."
She wondered if Frank had family, other than his missing wife. That was for tomorrow. Lottie closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter 5
Cecilia and Moll sat in Cecilia's living quarters. They drank tea and ate the dainty sandwiches she had made. No one knew these two were sisters. Moll felt it was for the best. She had chosen her lifestyle, and there was no need for Cecilia to get mixed up with it.
"Well, that's something. Frank dead. Ike will miss his best customer, that’s for sure," Moll couldn't stifle a snicker. Ike owned the saloon. He and Moll were always at loggerheads.
"I thought you might know who would want to kill him. I know he gambled, but Frank wasn't the angry type. He didn't even have a gun," Cecilia said.
"I know, but you know how people are here. Frank came in the other night. He was in high spirits, buying everyone drinks. Ike wanted to see the color of his money first, and Frank put a gold nugget on the counter. You should have been there, Cec. The whole place fell silent. Frank with a gold nugget."
"Where did he get it?"
"That's what we all asked. He said he was digging on his land and came across gold. There was always talk of gold there, but Willie Parsons never found any," Moll paused to sip her tea.
"You know who'd want that land if there was gold on it. Clem Palmer. One of his crew was in that night and took great interest in Frank's gold. Kept asking Frank about the gold and where he had found it. Frank tapped his nose. He was keeping that location secret. But I can tell you old Willie was fuming. Someone had told him about Frank's luck, and he came in screaming and shouting that Frank had stolen his land from him. A few whiskeys seemed to quieten him up though."
If anyone had taken the time to notice Moll and Cecilia, it would be plain to see that they were sisters. But they took care never to be seen together. Cecilia had a very different social standing in Bannack than Moll.
"Cec, tell me about this new woman and the doctor. Do you think he'll marry her? I can tell you like her. I hope she's an improvement on the dried up old prunes who look down their long noses at me and my girls."
Cecilia had been thinking about Clem Palmer. Dirty tricks and deaths made to look like accidents were definitely in his playbook. He'd take over the land by running his cattle through it. There wasn't anyone to stop him and all the better if there was gold. She was distracted as Moll talked about Lottie and Doc.
"Yes, I think she'd be a great addition as a nurse to the town. She's practical, and goodness knows there are times when you'd prefer a woman than a man. I do like her. She doesn't come across as judgmental but whether the good doctor will make a move, who knows. It's my guess, she has nothing to go back to in the city,” Cecilia stopped to take a bite of her sandwich. “I wonder if they found any evidence although for what cause I don't know. It’s too bad the Sheriff isn't going to do anything about this. I'll let you know if I hear anything else of interest."
"Pity we couldn't spy on them, Cec. I'd love to see Doc in action," Moll chuckled.
Cecilia was pensive. Moll hadn't given her any real suspects. If Palmer was involved, then the Sheriff wasn't going to do much to convict his brother. It may be too dangerous to go to Fort Benton and look for a Marshal. All Cecilia could do was convey her thoughts to Lottie and Doc. She wondered how they had fared together.
For now, it was time for Moll to return home. Cecilia lived over the tea shop. Moll slipped out and returned to her saloon under the cover of darkness. Cecilia would breakfast with Lottie and Mrs. Lavery tomorrow.
The next morning, Doc, Lottie, Mrs. Lavery and Cecilia met for breakfast.
"It's a dreadful turn of events especially for you, Lottie. Frank has nothing to bother him but you. What will you do?" Mrs. Lavery inquired.
Lottie shook her head. She wanted to stay, but now was not the time to think about how that was going to happen. Frank finding a gold mine on his farm had definitely opened up the pool of suspects. In a place like Bannack, thievery was rife and an accepted part and parcel of life. But only to a degree. They resolved to tell the Sheriff, knowing he was going to do nothing.
"I wonder if Mossy Murphy's wife would know anything about Frank's wife or what happened to her. Now that I think about it, I remember Mr. Lavery passing comment at not seeing Frank's wife. But over time, people come and go, and you forget. Enough of that though, who is going to break the news to the Sheriff?"
Doc agreed he'd go to the Sheriff. Lottie was wondering if Frank had any other family. She and Cecilia would go to the cabin to see if there was anything personal among Frank's possession. As they made their way to the livery, Doc joined them.
"Sheriff Palmer had no interest, as we expected. I mentioned the gold angle to him, and he raised his eyebrow. If there's going to be any justice for Frank, we may have to solve his murder ourselves."
Cecilia was sitting on her wagon. She couldn't help but smirk as Doc offered his hand to Lottie as she climbed onto the wagon.
"Take care ladies. I'll talk to the undertaker," Doc said as he turned to walk away.
Cecilia called him back.
"Actually, Doc, why don't the two of you go? I'll talk to the undertaker. It might be better for you, Lottie, if Doc was by your side. He's a good shot, and if there's gold in Parsons, the vultures will be circling."
Doctor McLennon scratched his head. It made sense for him to go. Lottie looked at Cecilia and noticed Cecilia's smile. Lottie wasn't sure she liked the idea of being set up with the good doctor but they did have work to do, and it would be safer to go with him. Lottie wanted to search for any clues they may have missed when they were so focused on the body.
"If Miss Cahill doesn't mind, I'll take your place, Cecilia."
Before Lottie could say anything to the contrary, Doc was sitting beside her. Why did the doctor call Cecilia by her first name, yet addressed others by their titles? Bannack was a curious place. A man arrived with a wife, who disappeared and it's as if she never existed. The same man is murdered, and the Sheriff wasn't interested in solving t
he crime.
"See you kids later," Cecilia shouted as she waved them off.
Mrs. Lavery came to the door of her hotel. "I see you're matchmaking, Cecilia Aikens. I hope you know what you're doing," Mrs. Lavery smiled and walked Cecilia to her tea shop.
Lottie asked the doctor about his life before Bannack. It seemed he had turned his hand to many things, not quite sure that medicine was the life for him. His father had been a doctor, and he had very little say in his career choice. When the gold rush started, it was his way to escape and no longer be in his father's shadow. In Bannack he was his own man.
"One's past doesn't exist here. You can start again and people, for the most part, will take you as they find you. Mrs. Lavery welcomes newcomers."
"May I ask a question? Why have you and Cecilia never, you know…?"
"Didn't she say? She's quite the dark horse when the mood is upon her. We're cousins. Our fathers were brothers and both as bad as they could be. She wanted to leave the city. One of the men here wanted to marry, and Cecilia came to Bannack to marry him. He died a few months after they married,” Doc said.
Their familiarity made sense to Lottie now. She told him about Mr. Peabody's death.
"It makes sense that you wish to solve Frank's death. If you decide to stay, you can work for me if you wish. The women would like that." He turned and smiled at her as he talked.
Lottie's pulse raced. He would like her to stay. It seemed odd to have romantic thoughts at a time like this. But as she'd been told, love can happen when you least expect it. She hoped they'd discover what they were looking for.
"Here we are, Miss Cahill."
Doc jumped off the wagon and came around to her side. He raised his hands, and Lottie found herself leaning towards him. He took hold of her waist and gently lifted her down.
"You may call me Lottie if you wish. Miss Cahill reminds me of when I was being scolded by the nuns in the orphanage."
"Lottie," he whispered. He tucked her hair behind her ear. She had worn her hair down as Cecilia wore hers in this fashion. There was something freeing about not pulling her hair up into a tight bun.
Her cheeks flushed, and she stepped away. It wasn't the place for special moments.
"I'll look in the cabin, and you check the barn again," Lottie said taking charge. She strode towards the cabin door. It seemed more askew than yesterday. Or was it her imagination. As she entered, the table that had been upright yesterday was now overturned.
Hearing a noise, Lottie grabbed a pot which sat on the stove top as a weapon. She wanted to be brave. It might be some wild animal. She reached forward and grabbed some of the stacked bags in the corner.
A snake hissed at her, and she jumped back, grateful it wasn't a man with a gun. With her hand on her chest to calm her heart, she could hear herself breathing normally again. Then out of nowhere, a bang to the head caused her to drop to the ground. Lottie hadn't seen it coming.
The doctor was oblivious to Lottie's predicament. There was nothing to find in the barn. He walked outside to widen his search and heard the sound of horses galloping away.
"Lottie," he said to himself. The horses from the wagon were free.
"Lottie," he shouted. There was no reply. He ran to the cabin and saw Lottie lying on the floor. She was coming around, but the snake was so close to her that if she moved, it was liable to strike at her.
The doctor needed to stay calm, but it was hard to do when every fiber of his being wanted to race towards Lottie to protect the woman he was falling for.
"My head. Someone hit me." She tried to move, and the snake hissed at her, drawing her attention. She wanted to scream.
"Lottie, whatever you do, stay calm and still. If you move, it will bite you before I can shoot it. Be still."
Lottie screamed as the shot pierced her ears. The remains of the snake splattered the cabin and onto her. She was in shock but soon felt the warm embrace of the doctor.
“Oh Lottie, I don’t know what I’d have done if anything happened to you. Did you see who did it?”
Lottie shook her head.
Doc was pensive. “I think whoever hit you, put the snake in here. Someone unhooked our horses too. So we’re stuck for now.”
Lottie gasped.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure Cecilia will come looking for us. Let me check your head.”
The wound was bleeding, and the doctor cleaned it as best he could.
"Well, whoever hit you, must have killed Frank. It's the same mark as the one that was on Frank’s body, only not as deep."
Doc chided himself for not taking better care of Lottie. While she claimed the fault was hers for not calling to him.
"We're a right investigative pair, aren't we?" Doc said. Then noticing Lottie's body quiver, he said, "you're shivering. It's the shock. I'll light a fire and get you warmed up." He stood up, but Lottie grabbed his leg.
"Please don't leave me by myself," she said as she began to cry.
"It's okay Lottie, the firewood is out here. You can see me. Look."
Lottie nodded and released her hold of the doctor. With the fire soon burning, he helped Lottie up and sat her on a chair.
"What's that spot on the floor?" she said. There was a stain on the ground near where Lottie had fallen.
"Looks like chewing tobacco. Unfortunately, it doesn't help us out, Lottie. Many of the men chew tobacco around here."
"Who do you think killed Frank? Could it be that man Clem Palmer or the gang?" she asked as they sat in the little cabin.
"Before this attack, I was convinced it had to be one of those two. This seems like a lone wolf type of attack. While we wait for help to arrive, I'll see if I can find anything in Frank's possessions. You stay still. It's a nasty head injury you have, and I don't want you exerting yourself."
It was a long time since anyone had taken care of Lottie. She felt safe. The same feeling she had gotten when the doctor had carried her to his surgery. Was it only yesterday that she arrived in Bannack?
"If there was some coffee, we could have a nice hot drink. Doesn't seem like Frank bothered about these things," Doc said as he looked around at the meager belongings of the dead man. There was a box under the makeshift bed which he brought over to Lottie.
"Looks like he has some letters from New York. I can't make out the signature."
Lottie read the letters. They made her tear up. It seemed they were from Frank's brother.
"Oh my," Lottie gasped and put her hand to her mouth.
"Doc this is so sad. The brother's wife has died of consumption, and his chest is too weak for him to work in the factories. The children are going to have to go into care, and he wants Frank to take them and tells him he needs to marry. That’s why he sent for me. He was going to take his brother’s children.” Lottie felt so emotional. The plight of the children was unknown. The letter she just read was the most recent one.
"I will try to find Frank's brother. If only we could figure out his name. The handwriting is so bad. This place, small as it is, could hold a family. The air here could help the man's lungs."
Doc was taken by surprise when Lottie stood up and went to him. She cried, and her body shook. He stroked her hair to comfort her. While she had never met Frank, she felt responsible for these children. Doc was falling in love with her all the more for her sentiment. He put his arms around her and held her tight. She needed him to be her rock. And he was more than happy to oblige.
Chapter 6
"Do you think we can bring the children here? Would someone care for them? Orphanages are horrendous places. I don't want them to go there. Especially when it was Frank's plan for us to raise them."
Lottie's crying had subsided as she tried to be practical. Doc reassured her that as soon as they got back to town, they would find a way to contact Frank's brother. The post office clerk might have a way to help. Lottie sat at the table and continued her search. She found a letter from a woman.
"What was his wife's name? Was it Annie?"
"Yes, Annie. What did you find?" Doc leaned over her shoulder.
"It's from Annie saying she's gone back to the city and wants nothing more to do with Frank. There's an address. But that means she owns the land. What about the children?" Lottie asked despondently. She knew nothing of the children, whether they were boys or girls, their ages or even the number of children. Yet she felt a connection to them.
"Lottie, don’t worry about the children. We'll find them, and whatever happens with Annie, we'll make it work." He rubbed her back as he spoke. Lottie couldn't help noticing how he said ‘we'll make it work.' Was he referring to the townsfolk or to her and him?
"If you're feeling better, Lottie, why don't we go and look for more clues. We've found what we needed in here."
As Lottie and Doc continued their search on the farm, Cecilia and Mrs. Lavery made their inquiries in Bannack. They were taking stock of the situation.
"Shouldn't they have been back by now?" Mrs. Lavery asked. Doc and Lottie had been gone a long time, and she was beginning to worry.
"I was thinking the same thing. Do you think we should go out there? What if Palmer and his ranch hands attacked them? Or, they could be falling in love, and we don't want to disturb that, now do we?" Cecilia smiled as she spoke.
"We'll bury Frank tomorrow, but what about his wife? Do you know anything about her?" Cecilia turned to more practical matters.
"Horace can get my wagon ready, and we'll go to Mossy Murphy's farm to see Biddy. She'll know more than I do about Frank's wife. And then we'll go by Parsons Place to check on the good doctor and Lottie." Mrs. Lavery didn't know why she felt concerned. There was just a gut feeling nagging at her, and she wanted to ensure they were safe.
Meanwhile back at Parsons Place, Lottie and Doc looked around the barn.
"Where are his horses?" Lottie asked, as though suddenly aware the animals were gone.