The Unconventional Governess

by Jessica Nelson

  Hoofbeats alerted him to a fast-approaching rider.

  “Train derailed to the south!” the cowboy hollered from atop his prancing piebald. “Need ev’rybody’s help!”

  Abram Booker appeared in the doorway in his clean white apron. “I’ll get another wagon from the livery. We’ll need to bring in the injured.”

  “Help me unload these onto the boardwalk,” Seth called to the cowboy. They made quick work of stacking his purchases, and Abram tossed in an armful of blankets. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  “I’m comin’, too!” Old Horace climbed up to the seat. Seth helped Gus into the back, and by the time they’d gotten to First Street, half a dozen more men and a few women had joined the old men in the back of the wagon. Seth urged the team past the now-deserted railroad station and south alongside the creek after which the town had been named.

  He spotted a thin line of black smoke before he came within sight of the train. The engine and tender were overturned, and men worked at putting out fires along the tracks. The hazard of a prairie fire seemed to be under control. The foremost passenger cars had been overturned, and beyond those the stock cars were detached and had skidded together in a zigzag pattern.

  The wailing of crying infants and children could be heard, along with shouts of men and whinnying horses. Other townspeople had arrived, as well. A few women offered water and assistance to passengers seated or lying on the sloping ground.

  Seth set the brake handle and helped Old Horace down, then joined one of the small groups of men gathering to search cars.

  “You’re strong and agile, Halloway.” Chesley Lawton, the portly gray-haired barber, gestured to him. “Come with our group.” He glanced over Seth’s shoulder. “You, too, young fella.”

  The five men passed the closest cars and made their way farther along the tracks. A snake slithered from behind a rock and disappeared into the grass ahead. Seth chose a car no one had reached and surveyed the exposed underside facing them. He found hand-and footholds and climbed upward, another young man joining him. Finding the doorway, Seth sidled inside.

  Two dozen passengers, having found no way to reach the doors or windows above them, appeared visibly shaken with various cuts and bruises. Together the men helped move debris and assisted women and children out and down to safety. The men made their way out last.

  “Anyone still in here?” Satisfied everyone had escaped, Seth climbed out.

  The young fellow beside him stuck out a hand as they headed for the next car. “Freddie Simms.”

  “Seth Halloway.”

  Entering the next car didn’t go as smoothly. The door was jammed and blocked. Freddie ran ahead of him to the front and yanked open the metal door. The cowboy led a group of frightened passengers out of the railcar.

  “No wonder the rear door didn’t open.” Once inside, Seth surveyed the destruction. An entire row of seats had come loose and, along with a piece of interior ceiling, were piled at that end. He located an unconscious man with a head wound and kneeled to press his ear to the fellow’s chest. Freddie returned to stand behind him. “Heart’s beating.”

  Together, they got the man as far as the doorway, and then shouted for help to get him down the twisted platform to the ground. The three on the ground took the unconscious person’s weight and Freddie helped ease him onto the grass.

  Seth turned back inside. “Anyone here?” he called. Crunching broken window glass beneath his boots, he maneuvered toward the rear one more time. A muffled sound caught his attention. The size of the pile blocking the door prevented him from spotting anyone trapped beneath.

  He kept searching, moving aside mangled metal and splintered wood. The car lurched, settling beneath him, and his heart jumped. He’d surveyed the ground by the railcar before entering, and there was nowhere for it to slide, so the movement was unsettling, but didn’t pose a threat. The battered seats and metal overhead were a true concern however.

  He shoved aside a valise to discover a pair of women’s feet encased in high-top black boots. He wrapped his hand around her ankle and felt for a pulse. The leg moved, along with the dust-covered fabric of her skirt. He let go and wrenched away the cushions and frames, exposing a space where the fallen seats had formed a protective barrier. After dislodging the seats, he discovered a huddled woman and three children. He stifled his amazement and asked, “Are you all right?”

  “I—I think so.”

  The reverend, Virgil Taggart, joined Freddie behind him. He breathed a prayer of thanks and reached to take the children’s hands one at time. All three boys’ faces were tear-streaked and the youngest’s jagged breathing demonstrated his fear and recent crying. Freddie picked up the smallest one and herded the others toward the door.

  “Come on, ma’am.” Seth helped the woman to her feet. She was taller than he’d expected—younger as well. Her red-gold hair had fallen from its mooring and hung over her shoulder in a shiny wave, with hairpins protruding. “You and your boys are safe. We’ll get you all to a doctor.”

  “Peony is still under that pile somewhere.” The young woman backed away from the reverend’s outstretched hand and stepped closer to Seth. Her wide hazel eyes, with flecks of gold and green, had the uncanny ability to plead with his sensibilities. “I can’t leave her.”

  Startled at that disturbing information, Seth turned back to the corner where he’d found them. Another child buried, injured or worse? “Where was she?”

  “Right beside me when the train crashed, but I’m afraid all the shifting debris has covered her.”

  “Get back.” He grasped her by the upper arms and moved her. Clearing away twisted metal, he got on his belly and pressed farther into the space from where he’d only just uncovered the passenger and her other children.

  A mewling similar to a baby’s drove a shiver up his spine. An infant? Lord, help me find her and get her out of this.

  The sound came again, much louder this time.

  “That’s her! That’s Peony!”

  He spotted a small cage at the same time the woman’s voice and the feline squalling registered. “A cat? Peony is a cat?”

  “Do you see her?”

  The railcar shifted again.

  “Come on, lady!” Freddie bellowed. “I’ve got her. Get out of there, Halloway!”

  Seth inched closer, reached for the cage and inched backward. Backing out of the narrow space wasn’t as easy as going forward. He had to push with his elbows and wrists and then scoot the cage along, a fraction at a time. Finally, he had his body out of the tunnel, but a loud creak from above alerted him to imminent danger. He threw his arm over his head a split second before an unhinged seat broke loose.

  * * *

  Seth’s shoulder and wrist throbbed under what he guessed, due to the numbing cold, was an ice pack. He opened his gritty eyes and squinted against the light that was making his head hurt. He didn’t recognize the room or the pungent earthy smells. The pain in the other hand was appallingly familiar. He’d taken more than one shot during the war, as well as a couple after. A groan escaped his lips.

  “Mr. Halloway.” The soft voice near his side added to his disorientation. “Are you in pain?”

  Ivory-skinned and hazel-eyed, with a halo of red-gold hair, the woman from the train came into view. She’d rearranged the shiny mass back on her head and had only a scrape on her chin as a result of the ordeal. “You fared well,” he said, barely managing to get the words out.

  “I’m perfectly fine, thank you.”

  “And the children?”

  “They have a few bumps and bruises from the crash, but they’re safe.”

  He closed his eyes with grim satisfaction.

  “I’m Marigold Brewster.”

  If she was one of the brides, she was certainly a young widow. And more power to the man willing to take on all those kids. “Seth Halloway.�
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  “I know. The other men told me your name. Thank you for rescuing me.”

  “I’m glad you and your boys are all right. Reverend Taggart must’ve been praying the whole while.”

  “Well, that’s the thing...”

  His head throbbed and the light hurt. He closed his eyes. “What’s the thing?”

  “They’re not my boys.”

  “They’re not?”

  “I never saw them before I boarded the train headed for Kansas.”

  “Well, then—”

  “They’re yours.”

  With his uninjured hand, he touched his forehead gingerly. Had that blow to his head rattled his senses? No, he hadn’t lost his memory. He remembered what he’d been doing before heading off to the wreckage, and he recalled what had happened inside the railcar. “I assure you I’d know if I had children.”

  “Well, as soon as you read this letter, along with a copy of the will, you’ll know.”

  At the sound of paper unfolding, he opened his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “It seems a friend of yours by the name of Tessa Radner wanted you to take her children upon her death.”

  “Tessa... She’s dead?”

  “This letter says she is. I’m sorry.”

  He remembered his friend well. They’d been neighbors and classmates in Big Bend, Missouri, a hundred years ago. He’d joined the infantry alongside her husband, Jessie. Jessie had made it nearly all the way through the war and had been killed at the end of the Appomattox Campaign in Northern Virginia’s final battle. Seth winced at the magnitude of senseless loss.

  Miss Brewster held up the letter, so he could read it. Tessa had gotten sick and her main concern was for her children. She’d believed she was getting better, but had taken a turn for the worse. Arranging to send her children to Cowboy Creek had been her frantic effort to see they were cared for. She’d been a young widow, frightened to die, frightened to leave behind her children. Seth’s chest ached with sorrow and sympathy for his childhood friend. But sending her beloved babies to him? She must have been desperate to believe he was her best choice. What was he going to do with them?

  He realized she was still holding the letter and his vision had blurred on the words. He glanced up. “So...you’re their chaperone?”

  “No, I’m the new schoolteacher. I’ve been hired to replace Miss Aldridge. The town council paid my fare. I met the boys—Tate, Harper and Little John—soon after the trip started, and asked why they were traveling without supervision. I shudder to think what might have happened to them. Tate showed me this letter, which explained why they were alone. Harper and Little John looked so frightened, and Tate was trying to be brave and act as though he had everything under control. He’s only seven himself. All I did was help them out as best I could.”

  The news was a lot to take in. He would show the letter and the will to his brother, Russ, who was an attorney. Russ would know if everything was on the up-and-up, but Seth didn’t know what choice he had. If these were Jessie and Tessa’s sons, and they had no other family, he had no choice. He always did the right thing, the responsible thing.

  He swallowed, finding his throat dry. “Well, I reckon we’re even then.”

  “Pardon?”

  “We’re even. You took care of the boys, and I rescued you.”

  “I suppose so,” she agreed.

  The door opened and Dr. Marlys Mason entered, wearing a crisp blue dress and a white apron. “How are you feeling, Mr. Halloway?”

  “Call me Seth. I’ve been worse.”

  “Yes, I noticed that when I removed your shirt. Besides several other interesting scars, one from a .58 Minié ball, I’d say.”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her. “You can tell the caliber by the scar?”

  “Indeed, and you were fortunate it was the Minié ball because the greater weight and velocity allowed it to penetrate and come out the other side. Another inch and it would have shattered your shoulder or become lodged in the bone and necessitated amputation.”

  Beside him Marigold sucked in a breath of surprise.

  “There are a couple of wounds I don’t recognize, though,” the doctor added, clearly fascinated and peering again to have another look. “These inch-long scars on your upper arm and your shoulder.”

  He raised his arm only to regret it when pain shot through his ribs. “Arrows.”

  The doctor’s eyebrows rose. “Arrows?”

  “Comanche.”

  “They didn’t pierce bone, however.”

  “I was a moving target.”

  “Fascinating. How were they removed?”

  “Grin and yank. The ones that had gone clean through were easiest because I could break off the tips.”

  Dr. Mason’s fascination was evident in her raised eyebrows. He had spoken to the doctor other times, and was accustomed to her logical thinking and straightforward speech. Her intelligence and intuition impressed him. He glanced over, and Miss Brewster, on the other hand, appeared a shade paler and unimpressed. “I’m glad they brought me to you, Dr. Mason. I respect your natural remedies. What’s ailing me at the moment?”

  Marlys peered into his eyes one at a time. “You took a blow to the head, but seem to be clearheaded now. I want to observe you overnight however. Besides the head injury, you have several contusions and your ulna is broken.”

  “My arm?”

  “Yes, this bone,” she said, raising her arm to show him the underside. “It’s a clean break, and will heal properly in a few weeks. I’ll put a cast on it as soon as the swelling is down. I’ll make a poultice for those ribs and we’ll wrap them. I would say a large object struck you there, rather than something with an edge, which would have broken or cracked ribs. Bruising will heal far more quickly, but is still quite painful. I will supply you with herbs. Those ribs will hurt every time you move until they’ve had a couple of weeks to heal.”

  He closed his eyes against the worrisome news of recovery time.

  “You have ranch hands,” she said, as though she’d read his thoughts.

  Yes, if he counted a full-grown boy who came after doing his own chores and an old man.

  He attempted to sit up and swing his legs over the side of the bed. “What I have is a ranch to run.”

  * * *

  Marigold recognized the overwhelming apprehension on her rescuer’s face. She’d taken care of her sister and her niece for a long time, and she understood the weight of responsibility. Poor Mr. Halloway had just learned he had three more mouths to feed and was now unable to handle his chores for the unforeseen future.

  “You’re not going to be doing any ranching for a while,” Dr. Mason told him, her voice and expression stern. “Do not use that arm for any reason.”

  “I can’t lie around doing nothing.”

  The doctor placed a gentle but firm hand on her agitated patient’s shoulder and eased him back to a prone position. “Rest now will spare you a future impediment. A brief respite only makes sense.”

  He swiped a hand over his face in obvious frustration, causing Marigold to speak up.

  “I will help Mr. Halloway get home when he’s ready,” she told the pretty lady doctor. “It’s the very least I can do after he’s saved our lives. He’s only just learned he has three boys to take home as well.” Belatedly, she thought about his situation. “Do you have a wife to help out, Mr. Halloway?”

  “No,” he replied. “Just me and my mother.”

  She truly hoped his mother was an understanding and capable woman. As a teacher, she knew full well how active these boys would be.

  “I’ll need to find someone who knows what’s been done with the luggage. I was told I’d be living with the students’ families, so I’m not sure what to do with my clothing and personal belongings just yet. But books and supplies can be delivered to th
e school. It’s a fairly new building, I understand.”

  Marlys nodded. “You can see it from the front windows of this office if you look northeast. It faces Lincoln Boulevard, so from here two sides of the yard and the south side of the school are visible. I hear the children when they’re at play.”

  Marigold smiled. “I’m relieved to know you’re so close. I feared I’d be in a rural area with no neighbors or help if I needed it.”

  “Not at all. The schoolhouse faces a growing neighborhood to the east, and it’s only a block from the main thoroughfare.”

  Marigold stood. “I’ll take the children with me now, so they can see a bit of the town. Once we’ve located our belongings and I’ve arranged to have them moved, I’ll be back.”

  “I had my wagon and team with me at the site of the wreck,” Seth told her. “My supplies should still be stacked in front of Booker & Son. Hopefully someone took care of my horses. Can you drive a team?”

  “I’m sorry to say I cannot.”

  “We’ll find someone to transport your supplies,” Marlys assured him. “Why don’t you plan on staying here tonight, Miss Brewster? There’s a room in the rear where I lived before I was married. I’ll be staying here to keep an eye on Seth and the other patients, so my husband will take the boys home for the night. We have a son, and he’ll be glad for the company. It won’t be a problem. Tomorrow, after everyone is rested, will be soon enough to take Seth and the children to the ranch and learn where you’re staying.”

  “Will you send a rider to let my mother know what’s happened and that I’m all right?” Seth asked.

  Marigold gave her rescuer what she hoped was an encouraging smile. “Yes, of course.”

  “And one other thing, if you don’t mind. My brother was likely among the men helping at the wreck. If you could ask around to see if anyone knows his whereabouts and let him know I’m here? His name is Russ.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  She sensed his gaze on her back as she slipped from the room. She paused in the outer office area, collecting her senses. She’d made the decision to come to Cowboy Creek, hoping for a new start, but so far nothing had gone according to plan. She captured her thoughts. Just the fact that she was alive and her young traveling companions were unharmed was cause enough for thanksgiving.