“Why you let her flop?” Birdie asked.
“Gets rid of blood. Get a bucket of hot water from that big kettle hangin’ over the fire and pluck these birds. They’ll be done floppin’ by the time you get back.”
“Yas’m.”
“Member ta save them feathers,” Lizzie said. “We’ll wash and spread them out ta dry.”
“I know. Then theys go in a sack ’til we has ’nough for pillers.”
Lizzie nodded and started walking toward the kitchen. She turned around. “Take those heads ta the hogs, Birdie.”
“Cain’t I just throws ’em to those dogs?”
“No,” Lizzie said. “Don’t you know nothin’? You gives them dogs a taste a chicken, they’s gonna raid those coops. They’ll chase and eat ever’ one of Masta’s flock. Do as I tells you. When you’s through with those hens, come help me. You’s got taters and carrots ta wash and cut up.”
A short time later, Phineas sat in a rocker on the front porch of the big house. He sipped a drink from a crystal goblet and gazed toward the cemetery hill until a rider appeared on the road leading into River Bend.
The man came fast, spurring his horse. He stopped in front of the porch, his horse’s hoofs spraying dirt clods into the air.
“I told you to report in, Hadley,” Phineas said. “Not turn it into a horse race.”
“Reporting,” Hadley said, gasping for breath. He dismounted and stood by his mare.
“Well, is the little lady on her way to the Rockies?”
“No, sir,” Hadley said. “Don’t know if she’s alive or dead. They said they was carryin’ her to the doc.”
“Hold up. That’s not the plan. Where’s the boys?”
“Quint and Yellow Knife got her. Just like you said to. I’s waitin’ in the trees close to camp.”
“Go on.”
“Trader Jake come after ’em. They run, and the woman got banged up when the horse got too close to a tree. They turned on Trader Jake and Yellow Knife slit him.”
“So, Trader Jake’s dead and the widow might be?”
“Don’t know. Lit out o’ there before they seen me.”
“If they’re both dead, I’ll give you a bonus. If she’s still alive, you might see a whipping like I just gave my slave.” Phineas rubbed his scarred neck. “Hate to lose Quint. I could always count on him to carry out orders and add his own brand of punishment. Too bad the widow missed out on being Quint’s woman up in the mountains. He’d have taken her down a peg.”
“He was a mean ’un,” Hadley said.
“Get out of here before anyone sees you.”
Hadley rode off while Phineas demanded slaves bring him a fresh drink.
Lizzie made thick noodles to complement the stewed hens, green beans, yellow cornbread, and chow-chow, keeping all of it warm for serving. She fed Johnathan at dusk.
The sun disappeared behind the ridge before Belle and Old Bailey climbed down from the spring wagon. Toby drove it to the carriage house to tend to the horses while Old Bailey and Birdie laid out supper in the dining room for Belle.
“You’re as hungry as I am,” she said to Old Bailey. “Fix you a plate and eat.”
“No, missy. I eats after you.”
“Pretend I’ve finished this lovely supper and get your plate filled now. If I need anything, I can call on Birdie.”
“Yas, missy,” he said and walked away.
I bet he won’t take a bite until I go upstairs. I’m starving, and I’m sure he is, too.
Chicken, so tender it fell away from the bone, swam in rich gravy and nestled against long, thick noodles. Belle took a bite of cornbread and felt like she was home in the Carolinas.
“I love the yellow cornbread even more than the white. Hope River Bend’s corn crop does as well this year as they said it did last. Oh, my, I’m talking to myself. Oh well, I don’t care. This tasty meal reminds me of the times I cooked for meetings at the church. I miss that—cooking and going to church.”
Enough tears had been shed after her mother’s death, but Belle’s sadness lingered. How she wished her mother could see her grandson and share her daughter’s company at the long dining table. What fun they could have—cooking, quilting, and walking the grounds, cleared for more plantation buildings. Mother, you would love this horseshoe staircase. And can you imagine never having to wash dishes?
After eating every bite from her plate, Belle went upstairs to spend time with Johnathan, who shouted with glee and ran into her arms.
“Story. Story.” He sat on the floor in front of the rocking chair, tucking his feet under him.
“Yes, son, we’ve missed our story time.” Although she still had a mild headache, she spun a yarn for him about a lonely trapper who discovered a beautiful princess in an enchanted forest.
Johnathan’s eyes shined brighter with each detail. “Does she love the trapper, Mama? Does he marry the princess?”
Belle thought of Catherine and Samuel. “They fall in love, have a glorious wedding, and live happily ever after.”
Johnathan grinned but changed to a puzzled look. “Mama, does it hurt them when they fall?”
“You are too inquisitive a child for your age,” she said, “and your language skills frighten me. Enough story time for tonight. Climb up here in this big bed so I can tuck your covers in around you.” When he was settled, she kissed his forehead. “Goodnight, my little angel.”
In her room, Belle wrote in her journal. Having two days away from the plantation gave her more exciting entries. When she closed the book and laid her pencil aside, she wondered if Jake would recover. He’s such a fighter. Coming back from that terrible gunshot wound showed his strong will, but now this. Before changing into her nightgown and stretching out on the bed, she dropped to her knees, saying her usual prayer and adding a plea for the ship’s captain who had sailed into her life.
She slept and woke to a new crisis.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Morning calm shattered when a thunder of hooves caused Belle and the servants to look toward the road. Two teams of horses pulled the Campbell clan’s wagons near the front steps of the plantation house.
Old Bailey opened the door for Belle. From the porch, she waited for her friends to climb down, but the whole family stayed seated.
“Margaret,” Belle said, “you look terrified. What’s happened?”
Margaret clasped her lips shut, a tight line where a smile should have been.
“Belle,” George said while removing his hat. “Indians shot holes in our cabin and burned our place, garden and all. Don’t know about our crops in the field.” His hands shook, so he gripped his hat and twisted it.
“Goodness sakes,” Belle said. “Are all of you all right? Are you hurt?”
“No,” George said. “We have our hair, but an ugly brave said they’d be back if we stayed. Said we’d die there if we didn’t leave. That’s when they torched our cabin and outbuildings.”
Margaret looked whiter than a new canvas covering for a wagon.
“We piled everything we could into these wagons after the fire started,” George said. “Smoke ran us out of there fast. This is all we own after working the land all these years.” He looked like he could burst out bawling, but he kept his composure. “We’re headed to the settlement for safety.”
“Rendezvous is going on there,” Belle said. “There are no rooms at the hotel. You need to stay here at River Bend.”
“No, we couldn’t do that,” George and Margaret said together.
“We have plenty of room in this big house,” Belle said. “Please stay.”
The couple continued to decline.
Phineas Grayson stood by but added nothing to the conversation.
“At the very least,” Belle said, “move into the slave cabins. Two on the south edge are empty. They’re not as nice as your home, but they’re clean.”
“George.” Margaret laid her hand on his forearm. “Perhaps, we could stay here for a little while.”
George nodded. “Thank you, Belle,” he said. “You are indeed gracious.”
“Old Bailey,” Belle said, “would you have Toby lead them down to the empty cabins and see they get settled in?”
“Yas, missy,” he said and disappeared for a moment.
Phineas crossed his arms, showing his disapproval. He said nothing.
“We’ll earn our keep, Belle,” George said, “while we’re here. My older sons and I’ll work in the fields.”
Old Bailey came back with Toby in tow. They both stood with their mouths open. “Missy, you cain’t have no white men workin’ in the fields with slaves.”
“We will work,” George said. “No two ways about it.”
“And, I’ll cook,” Margaret said. “My girls can help with dishes and do laundry, too.”
“Lizzie and Birdie would probably like that,” Belle said, “but let’s get you situated. Come back here for the noonday meal. I’d love to have your company. After you tell me more about this morning’s attack, you can fill me in on what you’ve been doing these last few months. I’ve missed you.”
Belle did not invite Phineas to join them. He turned and stomped off.
At midday, very few seats sat empty at River Bend’s dining table. The Campbell clan remarked about the carved chairs with padded seats and full place settings on the table. With children of varying ages, Belle decided to bring Johnathan down to eat with them.
“What a lovely group,” she said. “I feel like the mistress of the house today.”
With Margaret playing enforcer of etiquette rules for her children, she seemed to have recovered from her morning’s shock and found her smile again. Her smaller daughters played nanny to Johnathan, and he responded with giggles.
The younger children drank milk while everyone else drank cool tea. They were served slices of boiled ham, potatoes fried in bacon grease, stewed tomatoes, yellow hominy with diced red and green peppers, biscuits, and blackberry cobbler for dessert.
After everyone ate their fill, they retired to the front porch to sit in rocking chairs. Small children sat on the smooth, painted boards at the edge of the porch and dangled their feet.
This is so peaceful. I wish it could stay like this. Why were they targeted? I wonder if their attackers are the same as those who destroyed my dugout.
George, Margaret, and Belle relaxed in the rockers and almost fell asleep until the sound of singing roused them. A team of matched horses pulled a wagon with four occupants toward the big house. The four were singing the chorus, over and over, of She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain.
“Why, it’s the sisters,” Belle said, “and Samuel and Benjamin. This is my day for company.” She introduced them to the Campbells and bounded down the steps to greet her newest guests.
“Trader Jake’s awake,” Benjamin said. “Doc says he’ll heal.”
“That’s good news,” Belle said. “Our prayers have been heard—again.”
The two trappers helped Catherine and Amelia alight from the wagon.
“My, what perfect gentlemen.” Belle watched the sisters grin.
Catherine leaned back to take in the plantation house’s façade. “I had no idea such a grand house existed way out here in Texas.”
“It’s lovely,” Amelia said. “When Benjamin said he was going to show me River Bend, I expected to see the river.”
“We did see the river, Miss Amelia,” Benjamin said. “Drove beside it part of the way.”
Amelia touched his arm. “We did for a fact.”
Thinking the gruff trapper might melt in front of her, Belle invited them inside. All four were speechless for a while when they stopped to view the staircase.
“It’s shaped like a horseshoe,” Amelia said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Belle remembered the awe she felt when she first saw it. Motioning to Margaret, Belle invited her and her family to join them, but the Campbells chose to remain on the porch.
Samuel reached for Catherine’s hand. Holding it with a light touch, the big man whispered, “We won’t live in a mansion like this. I would buy you one if I could.”
“I believe that,” Catherine said. Squeezing his calloused hand with hers, she looked into his eyes. “You promised me a home to live in with you—warm in the winter and cool in the summer. That’s all I need.”
Looking from one to the other, Belle forgot to be polite, plunging ahead with questions on the tip of her tongue. “What? Are you two that starry-eyed? Did I miss the wedding?”
“Calm down, Belle,” Catherine said, never taking her eyes from her man. “That’s why we came. You see, my sweet Samuel asked for my hand in marriage, and I have fallen in love with the big frontiersman. Who wouldn’t?” She transferred her gaze to Belle. “I need your help.”
“Anything. What can I do?”
“The preacher will stay only another week, so we have to get married in the next few days.”
“We can have the ceremony here at River Bend,” Belle said. “What a lovely place for a wedding.” She was so excited she could hardly stand still. “Come into the parlor so we can start planning for it.”
“Not so fast,” Catherine said. “This is fancier than we had in mind. Samuel wants to show me off to his fellow trappers. We need to get married in the settlement.”
Belle tried not to show her disappointment. “I suppose the hotel would work nicely.”
“Not enough room,” Samuel said. “Saloon’s better.”
“Saloon!” Belle’s hand flew to cover her mouth. She hadn’t meant to yell the word.
“There’ll be music and dancing after we get hitched,” Samuel said. He was all smiles.
“Samuel has asked Trader Jake to be his best man, and I’m asking you to be my maid of honor,” Catherine said.
This is dangerous territory. I’ll have to be in close proximity with that man, and inside a saloon, for crying out loud. Why didn’t they ask Benjamin and Amelia?
“Surely, Catherine, you’d want your sister to have that honor. I’d be in the way.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Catherine said and placed her hands on her hips. “Are you refusing to be my maid of honor?”
“Of course not. I just thought… Wait a minute.”
“You have a nice frown on your face,” Catherine said and laughed. “We wanted to fool you as long as we could.”
“So, Amelia,” Belle said, “does this mean you’re also going to be a bride?”
“It does,” she said. “Benjamin is sweet on me, and I don’t want to move away from my sister, so I said yes when he proposed for a second time.”
“Congratulations to all of you.” Belle hugged each one of them and hoped Amelia would have deeper feelings for her husband soon.
The three women could not contain their excitement. Dancing in place, they all screamed, “A double wedding. Double wedding!”
The trappers excused themselves and walked outside.
Belle clapped her hands. “They are in for a surprise—having women in their lives. This is going to be fun.”
“We have men, and we’ll have our own land, too,” Amelia said. “We love America.”
Belle picked up pencil and paper from the secretary and sat down with the two women who had become like family. “Wedding to be held in the saloon,” she said, writing it down. She glared at the two brides-to-be. “Since I’ve been married, I cannot be your maid of honor, but as your matron of honor, I get to plan the reception. We’ll have two.”
“Two?” Both women leaned forward and looked at her.
“Two,” Belle said. “One in the saloon like Samuel wants. The second one will be here at River Bend. I want you to feel like princesses who found their charming princes, and this is the perfect setting. We’ll have wonderful food and celebrate your nuptials in style. What say you?”
“Sounds like a lot of work for you,” Catherine said.
“Not at all,” Belle said. “It will give me something to do, and I can
’t tell you how much enjoyment it will bring me.”
“All right with me,” Amelia said. “What can we do?”
Before they realized it, their planning session had stretched into the early part of sunset.
Belle walked outside. “Samuel, you and Benjamin are truly patient men. Come on in and join us for the evening fare.”
When they tried to refuse, she stood her ground. They joined her and the sisters for a delicious meal.
When Old Bailey came to serve Belle, he said, “Campbells’ helpin’ Lizzie and stayed down there to eat.”
“Thank you.” Belle caught up on rendezvous news before the betrothed couples left to return to the settlement.
Chapter Forty
Gunshots peppered the dawn air, waking Belle from a sound sleep. She raced to the window of her bedroom to see Phineas firing at two Indians. The couple had taken cover in an oak grove when Belle caught sight of them.
“Stop firing, Phineas!” Belle’s voice was loud and stern.
“Injuns, ma’am,” he said. “Comanches. I’ll get them. Don’t you worry.”
“No! They’re friends of mine.”
Phineas gave Belle an incredulous look. “You have Comanche friends? Why?”
She ignored his questions. “Go back to your duties.”
With a sneer, Phineas holstered his weapon and walked away.
As fast as she could, Belle dressed and made it downstairs to open the door. From the front porch, she called out to her friends. “Come on in. It’s safe now.”
Laughing Maiden and When The Eagle Speaks emerged from the oak trees and trotted to the main house. Belle hugged the Indian woman.
“Ehawee missed Belle,” Laughing Maiden said.
“I’ve missed you,” Belle said. “Both of you. Come on in and tell me how you’ve been.”
As soon as they entered the foyer, Belle’s visitors gazed at the mansion’s chandelier and staircase but said nothing. Laughing Maiden stepped behind her husband when Old Bailey appeared.
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