by Faye Sonja
“Sorry, ladies. This part is a little rough. It’ll smooth out soon,” the coach driver called down to them.
“We’re fine,” Averill called back as her mother held onto the side quite tightly. Her mother looked at her and nodded.
Averill held on as well and gave a little smile; perhaps their adventures of life had finally begun. “I think, Mama, we’ll need a strong cup of tea by the time we get there.”
Her mother laughed. “I agree. It’s quite exhilarating, really.” She put her hand over her heart and braced herself with the other one against the side wall.
“We’ve just gone past the halfway mark, ladies. We’re officially in Goldrush country now. You were lucky to get a ride. This’ll be our first official run into to the town.”
Both Averill and her mother gave a small cheer hearing that news.
“Oh, Mama. I’m so excited to be seeing Adeline and Amelia again. It feels like forever.”
“Indeed it does, child.”
A loud noise cracked across the air outside and the driver shouted. “Stay inside the carriage. No one knows I have passengers. I took the money on the side. We got trouble.”
Averill allowed herself a quick peek out and saw three men on horseback, their faces covered with kerchiefs and guns held high riding fast behind them. Another one fired and Averill clung to her mother’s arm. “Bandits, Mama. Stay quiet.”
The men overtook them and shouted out, “Pull over or we’ll shoot to kill.”
“Pray Mama. Just keep praying,” Averill whispered as the coach ground to a halt.
“Where’s the box?”
“Beside me where it always is.” The driver answered the man with the frightening voice.
“Best be passin’ it to me, then.”
“You and a man will have to come get it. Too heavy.”
“What’s in it?” The bandit spoke again.
“Guessin’ you know that already or you wouldn’t be here.”
“You got passengers?”
“This route’s been too dangerous. No one will come this way.” The driver spoke like it was the most expected thing in the world.
“There’s luggage up top.”
“I’m delivering it to Goldrush for some folks.”
Averill pushed back as hard as she could into the corner with her mother huddled up by her side. They gripped each other’s hands. No one knows we’re coming, thought Averill. They won’t be waiting for us.
“I’ll see for myself.” The outlaw spoke low and gritty as if the driver should know what was in store if he was lying.
A single shot rang out, but not so close by the sound of it and Averill clutched at her mouth. More of them, what would they do? She thought up every possible way to talk herself and Mama out of this with the bandits if needed. Why this stagecoach and why today? Their luck had been running so well.
“Well, looky here. We got ourselves a posse. Guess we’ll be seein’ you and your gold later.”
With a hoot and a holler they thundered off on their horses.
“You alright in there, ladies?” the driver asked, and the coach tipped slightly as he got down and looked in on them.
“Yes, thank you.” Averill managed a small smile.
“You both look as white as ghosts. For good reason; they’re some dangerous folk.”
“I hope we’ve seen the last of them.”
“You will’ve, but not sure about me. I’ll have other runs to make this way. The sheriff from Goldrush is after them now with his men. Young fella but he’s like a dog with a bone when he’s on someone’s trail.”
“Very good. I hope we aren’t too far away from the town. I really need to catch the bakery before it closes for the weekend.”
“Let’s get along then.”
“When we get there, I’d like to go and thank the sheriff in person.”
“Mightn’t see him till daylight.” The driver hauled himself back up in the seat and got the horses moving along at a nice pace again.
“This might be a little too much adventure for me in one day.” Mama took some deep breaths in and out. “What a story to tell the grandchildren!”
Averill’s heart had finally gotten back to a regular pace when another shot sounded and the horses whinnied and reared up, by the feel of the jerking carriage. Her mother grabbed her arm as the stagecoach came to a stop. Averill looked at her and she put her finger to her lips in a motion to be silent.
The driver hadn’t spoken and she didn’t like it at all. She feared the shot they heard had taken his life, and the sheriff and his posse had gone in the opposite direction.
She heard the sound of horse hooves galloping up and stopping suddenly. Just the one. She dared not take a peek this time as the coach tilted with someone climbing on. Another couple of shots rang out and almost deafened her.
“That took care of the lock. Now, let’s see about this gold bullion.” A deep, scratchy voice spoke, but no one answered so Averill assumed he was alone.
What was she to do if he looked back here and saw them? She had no way of protecting them. She placed her hands in the prayer position and prayed hard that they wouldn’t be discovered. The man just wanted the gold and he had that.
Please don’t look. Please don’t look…
“Well, well. What ‘ave we here?”
Averill opened her eyes that she’d squeezed shut as she prayed and looked at the dark eyes of what could only be described as death.
His scary chuckle put fear right through her.
“No one said I’d be entertaining ladies. Woulda worn my best jacket.”
“I do believe you have what you came for. There’s no need to concern yourself with us.” Averill’s voice sounded brave.
“Not really, Miss. That box is full of lead. Trickery and now I have a coupla extras I can’t afford.” He scraped his thick, calloused fingers over the stubble on his chin. “Witnesses.”
* * *
3
Discovery
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“I won’t be marrying for that love alone.
I’ll be marrying because we make
sense on an intellectual level.”
.
Jacob and his five hired guns rode hard to catch up with the three outlaws. It’d taken them a good half an hour but they had them in a clearing and the men surrounded.
“Who sent you?” Jacob circled them on his horse looking for a flinch, or a glance, that told a story.
“We were out for a ride and saw the coach stopped. Just asked him if he needed a hand.”
“Robbin’ him, more like it.” Jacob was back in front of them now, his pistol in his hand.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. What’d be worth taking?”
“You know the Wells and Fargo box is on there.”
“Ya don’t say...” The lead guy chewed on tobacco and spat brown goo all over the ground in front of him.
“Tell me who ya work for. I know it’s an inside job. How else’d you know the coach carrying the gold had changed course? Thing is, there’s no gold in that box. It’s full of lead.”
The three men all looked at each other and they looked, well…scared, for a second.
“That’s right. I set this run up just to catch you. Now I have.”
“You got no proof. You heard nothin’, saw nothin’. If anything, you fired on us.”
“I’ll have proof enough when the driver testifies.”
One of the back men laughed. “Can’t testify from the grave.”
The lead man hit the other man in the stomach with the butt of his shotgun. “Shut your fool mouth…”
But Jacob knew exactly what’d happened. They’d been set up and tricked into following these men as a distraction. Somewhere back there that stagecoach was being held up by the real outlaw.
He touched his horse with his heels and Charger responded beautif
ully. “C’mon, men. That coach is in danger.” Could he make it in time? Last thing he wanted was for the driver to get hurt; he’d left strict instructions for no passengers to be allowed today, so at least he didn’t have that to contend with.
He’d been outsmarted at his own game. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for this law enforcement thing after all. He should’ve gotten more men and had some stay hidden but with the coach. Now an innocent family man was dead and it was on Jacob’s head. This was down to him to fix.
They rode all the way back to where they’d first seen the coach. It was almost an hour now and there was no sign of it. He slowed the horse just a little and raced beside the track, his men going out a little wider to each side of him, and one in behind. The sun had lowered as the day faded. Maybe the coach had made it to Goldrush and he was worrying over nothing.
Riding and riding, looking all around to see if all was clear, and then he saw the coach in the distance, just sitting in the middle of the track. There looked to be some movement up the front so Jacob slowed and hope blossomed in his heart that Henry was still alive.
But the closer they drew, the stranger the sight was that he could see. He blinked a few times and still it looked like a woman in a fine dress and bonnet up there. That couldn’t be possible. Jacob kicked his horse into a canter and closed in on the coach. He was right.
“Ma’am?”
“This man’s still alive. Don’t just sit on that horse, young man, come help me.”
Jacob got a sharp sense of knowing this woman but he’d never seen her before in his life. “Henry’s still breathin’?”
“If we can stop this bleeding, and get him to a doctor, he might have a chance. I’ve run out of the petticoat strip I ripped for bandage. I’m not strong enough to hold him and rip more, so you’ll have to do it.”
“I’ll hold him.” Jacob climbed onto the coach.
“You rip; if I let him go now, the bleed under my hand will start again.”
“Are you sure, Ma’am? It hardly seems appropriate.”
The older woman leveled him with a stare that’d cut through tempered steel. “It’s less appropriate to let him die because of your lack of experience under a woman’s skirt.”
“Fine.” Jacob took a big handful of white material and ripped a long, wide section off.
Together they wrapped the bandage tight and then added another layer. There was no fresh blood showing.
“Now, some water if you have some, and perhaps some of you could lift him into the coach.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Elizabeth Archer.”
“Archer? As in, Adeline and Amelia?”
“Why, yes…do you know them?”
“And Averill?”
She looked at him then. “How do you know about Averill?”
“Where is she?” If anyone had hurt his wife-to-be…
“You’ll find her about ten minutes walking up the road. I sent her towards Goldrush for help.”
Jacob looked over the other side of the coach and a very ugly, very dead man lay there with a gunshot wound to his head. He looked back at Elizabeth Archer, his future mother-in-law. “Did you…?
“I killed him. You can arrest me if you must. He was going to take my daughter, and kill me. I got in first.”
“You’ve a gun?” Now Jacob thought he was really dreaming.
“I always have mine tucked into a pocket in my stocking. My secret.”
“Not anymore. Ahh, Mrs. Archer…Elizabeth…I’m Jacob. Jacob Blair, Averill’s betrothed.”
She looked him up and down. “You’re Jacob Blair?”
“Yes. I know Adeline and Amelia well. I’m going after Averill, so we can talk more later. The men will see you safely to Adeline and James’ homestead. It’s another hour from Goldrush.”
“Is there a hotel in the town? I’m done with travelling for today. I’ll see Adeline tomorrow.”
“There’s lodgings and meals at the pub. I’ll see you there soon.” Jacob went to ride away after Averill.
“You take care of my baby, Jacob.”
He couldn’t help but wonder if there was a hint of threat to those words. He still had no clue what was going on but he jumped back on his horse and rode fast to find Averill.
* * *
She knew if she just kept following this road she’d come to Goldrush, or perhaps someone would come looking for the coach that didn’t arrive, or the sheriff might happen back this way soon. She hoped they could at least save the driver’s life. She lifted her skirts and picked up her pace; a man’s life was at stake.
Horse hooves sounded from behind her. Averill ran and jumped behind a shrub in case it was those outlaws again. Maybe they hadn’t seen her. The horse stopped just near where she was and she heard the rider jump down.
“Averill. Come on out. You’re safe. Your mama is safe.”
His voice sounded gentle and coaxing.
“You’ve been very brave, Averill Archer. My Averill.”
His Averill? No, it couldn’t be…she looked out from behind the shrub and there he stood. Dirty, dusty, tall, strong, and smiling.
“It’s me…Jacob. Your Jacob.”
Averill’s heart now hammered. Could it really be him? The sheriff’s badge confused her. She stared at it.
“This is recent.” He tapped the badge. “I haven’t had time to write you of it yet. Last letter I had no idea I’d be sheriff.”
“Jacob.” He looked nothing of how she expected. The small photo he’d sent was hard to discern and a little distant.
“You’re early. Weren’t you coming in two weeks?”
“It was important that we leave right away. Lex Baxter was getting more and more suspicious. You are pleased to see me, aren’t you?” What if he’d changed his mind?
“Averill, you’re so beautiful. Of course I’m pleased. You must think this is a terrible place, but really, it isn’t. Your mother has requested lodgings as Adeline and Amelia are another hour’s ride from Goldrush. She’s had enough travelling today. She said that I can take you to them should you wish to go.”
“I have so much to say to you.” Averill was almost bursting with feeling for this man she’d been writing.
“We’ll dine together at Adeline’s and James’. I’ll ride out and fetch Amelia and Jack.”
“That sounds wonderful. I’m so glad to be here, Jacob. You don’t know how glad.”
“I’m just happy you’re safe. To think I may not’ve been able to marry you at all.”
“I’m fine, thanks to Mama. I never knew she carried a gun.”
“Lucky for you. We must be married tomorrow in the late afternoon. I don’t want to waste another minute. Then we can talk without a chaperone, all night if we want.”
“I’d like that. But isn’t it a little soon? How can a wedding be arranged in one morning?”
“This is Goldrush. This town can manage anything, especially weddings, you’ll see. Just say yes.”
“Yes.” She stood there and grinned at him grinning at her. Why wait indeed? This was what she’d come here for. The sooner the better, and then a life she could finally enjoy would begin as Mrs. Averill Blair. “Let’s get married tomorrow.”
The coach came into sight and before long was beside them.
“Just pick up Averill and keep going. I’ll ride ahead and notify Doc. Hopefully he can save Henry,” Jacob called out to his men.
Once he’d helped Averill onto the coach, he tipped his hat to her and rode off.
“Mama…are you okay? How’s the driver?”
“He’s still breathing. It’s shallow but he’s alive.”
“You’ve saved his life.”
“I certainly hope so. I cannot believe that is your Jacob.”
“He’s not at all what I expected. I thought he’d look more scholarly.” Averill wasn’t exactly disappointed, just a little surprised.
“I’m sure he doesn’t dress like this every day, just when he’s sheriff.�
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“Perhaps you’re right. He’s very capable. I can see why they made him sheriff at such a young age.”
“You never mentioned he was sheriff.”
“It’s recent, he hasn’t had a chance to write me of it yet; as we were to arrive soon anyway, he thought he’d just show me.”
“He’s quite impulsive, isn’t he? Not really a planner like you.”
“We’re to be married tomorrow. Jacob said it could be organized and why should we wait? I agree. That’s what I’m here for. The sooner Lex Baxter has less of a chance to come near me, the better.”
“Yes, well, you’ve been preparing yourself for a marriage, so I can see how that makes sense.” Her mother sounded a little apprehensive all of a sudden.
“It’s okay, Mama. I’ve got Adeline and Amelia to help guide me through it all. Adeline has known Jacob almost six months and Amelia almost four, so I’m sure if they think he’s a bad match for me, they’ll let me know.”
“That is true. I’m so looking forward to seeing my daughters again and hearing all about their lives. You can only get so much in a letter.”
“I hope the town has a good lawyer. I’d like to continue my studies as soon as possible.”
“You’re very determined on that.”
Averill smiled at her mother; she knew her so well. “I am. Since reading in The Revolution about Arabella Mansfield winning the right to practice law after passing the bar, it’s all I want to do.”
“It will still be a hard path for women lawyers moving forward.”
“Women’s rights aren’t going away, Mama. It’s time the law stopped forcing us to be controlled by husbands. From both my sisters’ letters, I think the women here are much more independent.”
“As harsh times often dictate, Averill. I just don’t want you to be disappointed if it doesn’t happen. It’s one thing for a man to allow his wife to plough the fields with him but quite another for her to be arguing against his beliefs in court.”
“Thank you for your concern, Mama. I can assure you, I will be a lawyer no matter who I have to fight to get there.”