Chapter Thirty
On Monday morning, as soon as her children were on their way to school, Elizabeth paid a visit to Mara. After she shared a loaf of bread and some venison and played with the children, she turned to Mara with a serious expression. “We need to talk,” she told her.
Mara made a worried frown and Elizabeth looked at Rose. “Can you stay here with Baby Charlie while your mother and I go outside to talk?”
Rose nodded solemnly.
Elizabeth smiled at her, patting her head. “You are a good big sister.”
Now Rose smiled.
Outside, Elizabeth quietly told Mara about the conversation she’d overheard and how Eli and Asa had learned more. “It’s possible that some of the men have seen you. Do you ever go far from here?”
“I gather. Along creek.” She looked uncertain.
“You must be careful. These men are dangerous.”
“I know.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Of course you know.” She put her hand on Mara’s shoulder. “It’s just that I worry about you.”
“You good friend.”
She nodded. “I have a plan, Mara. But you will have to help me.”
“Me help you?”
Now Elizabeth explained how she wanted Mara and her children to look and act more like white people, but even as she said this she felt embarrassed. What right did she have to tell Mara how to live? But Mara’s life could be in danger if she didn’t. “I wish there was another way, Mara. But I’m afraid there is not.”
Mara looked down at her hand-me-down dress. “I wear white-woman clothes.”
“Yes. But we must do more. And we must work on your English. We have to do this to show the white man that you are a good mother.”
“I am good mother.”
“I know you are.” Elizabeth stifled her frustration over the unfairness of this. “Will you do this with me?”
Mara looked confused. “I do not know how.”
“I will help you. And my mother will help you too.”
Mara agreed, and so for the next few days, Elizabeth and Clara took turns helping Mara and her children to fit in better with white society. They altered one of Elizabeth’s dresses, a pretty blue calico, to fit Mara. They taught Mara how to comb and pin up her hair. They gave her shoes and a shawl and a new bonnet to wear. They altered one of Ruth’s dresses as well—a red-and-white gingham that Ruth had outgrown. All the time they spent with Mara and her children, they insisted that Mara practice her English skills, speaking full sentences and practicing good grammar. Sometimes Mara complained, but all it took was one reminder that her efforts could very well save her children’s lives, and she would comply.
By the end of the week, Mara had made good progress, and Elizabeth felt hopeful. After church on Sunday, she consulted briefly with Georgia. Encouraged that her plan was sound, Elizabeth then invited Georgia and Martha to come for tea on Thursday. She wished she could take more time, but seeing Mr. Walters and his cronies clustered together again warned Elizabeth that time might be of the essence.
Elizabeth and Clara had three more days to work on refining Mara. On Wednesday morning, they had a mock tea party. By now Mara was well aware that she would be meeting Charles’ mother tomorrow. And she was trying her best to cooperate. By the time they finished, Mara not only poured tea and folded her napkin properly, she managed to converse a bit about the weather as well.
“I am so proud of you,” Elizabeth told Mara as she walked her back to her cabin.
“Thank you,” Mara said quietly.
“You will do just fine tomorrow,” Elizabeth assured Mara before she left. “Just be sure to be ready before my mother comes to fetch you in the morning. Just like today.”
“I will be ready,” she promised.
The plan was to have Mara and the children at Elizabeth’s before the ladies arrived. Mara would wait in the bedroom while Elizabeth and Clara had the children in the main room. As she walked back home, Elizabeth prayed that the plan would work.
“Welcome,” Elizabeth said as she opened the door to let the ladies inside. “My mother and two young friends are joining us today.” She led Georgia and Martha inside, and Clara greeted them from where she was sitting in the rocker, holding Baby Charlie.
“This is Rose,” Elizabeth told Georgia and Martha. Rose looked very sweet in the red gingham dress. Her hair was in two neat braids, each tied with a red ribbon. On her feet were the moccasins Mara had made, but even that did not seem too unusual since many of the settlers’ children went barefoot. And Ruth often wore her moccasins. “Rose, this is Mrs. Holmes and Mrs. Levine.”
“Hello, Mrs. Holmes. Hello, Mrs. Levine.” Rose repeated her lines just as she’d been instructed, even adding the curtsy Clara had taught her to do.
“Hello, Rose,” Georgia said. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.”
“Hello, young Rose,” Martha said with a curious expression. “Where did you come—”
“Now you must come meet my little one,” Clara called out. “Come and say hello.”
“Oh, my,” Georgia gushed as she went to see him. “What a beautiful baby!”
“Goodness,” Martha exclaimed. “This cannot be your grandbaby, Clara. He is much too big.”
“You’re right, the young lad is not my grandchild,” Clara confirmed. “But isn’t he adorable?”
“May I hold him?” Georgia asked eagerly.
“Certainly.” Clara stood and passed the cherub to her. “He is a most good-tempered baby.”
“Where did these children come from?” Martha asked. “Are their parents new to the settlement? I haven’t heard of any newcomers lately.”
“They are not new to the settlement,” Elizabeth told her.
“What’s your name, little one?” Georgia cooed to the baby.
“This is Baby Charlie.” Elizabeth watched Martha as she said this, but the woman did not seem to register any recognition at all. “He is four months old.”
“He is a doll,” Georgia gushed. “A sweet little doll.”
“I’m confused,” Martha told Elizabeth. “You say their parents aren’t new. But I don’t recall these children. They didn’t come with the wagon train families last fall.”
“Would you like to meet their mother?” Elizabeth asked, trying not to feel too nervous.
“Certainly.” Martha nodded.
Elizabeth went to the bedroom door, slowly opening it and giving Mara an encouraging smile, but she could see a look of pure terror in her eyes. “Come and meet some friends.” She linked her arm in Mara’s, leading her out into the room. Once again, Martha didn’t seem to understand.
“Georgia and Martha, I want to present Mara to you. Mara, this is Mrs. Holmes and Mrs. Levine.”
Mara stepped forward just as she’d been taught, extending her hand to Georgia first. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Holmes,” she said in a shaky voice.
Georgia clasped her hand and smiled warmly. “I am pleased to meet you too, Mara. You have lovely children.”
“Thank you.” Now Mara extended her hand to her mother-in-law. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Levine.”
“Pleased to meet you too.” Martha’s brow creased. “But I did not catch your last name.”
“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said. “I forgot to mention it. This is Mara Levine.”
Martha’s face visibly paled, and Clara hurried over to ease her into a chair by the table. “We did not wish to shock you,” she said kindly. “But we felt it was time for you to become acquainted with your grandchildren and your daughter-in-law.”
“I…I…don’t know what to say.” Martha’s eyes were wide as she first stared at Mara and then Rose and finally the baby. “Charlie,” she whispered. “For Charles.” She looked back at Mara. “Where is Charles?”
“Charles went to find gold,” Mara said simply.
“He left last summer,” Elizabeth explained. “He wanted to get gold in order to care for his fami
ly. But Mara has not heard from him since then.”
Martha looked at Charlie again. “The baby looks like his father.”
“Mara and her children have been staying on my property,” Elizabeth explained as she poured Martha a cup of tea. She glanced at Mara. “Perhaps you’d like to take Rose to see the chickens now.” They had already worked this out. Elizabeth didn’t want Rose to be exposed to all of their conversation. As soon as the two were out of earshot, Elizabeth told Martha about how settlers had burned Mara and Rose out of their home last fall.
“Naturally, Charles wouldn’t know that his little family was homeless. I doubt that he even knew that Mara was with child. I’m sure if he did know, he would return to care properly for them.”
“Yes,” Martha said quickly. “I’m sure he would. Charles was always a good boy.”
“I haven’t minded having Mara here with me,” Elizabeth said. “I consider her a friend, and her children are delightful.”
“You have lovely grandchildren,” Georgia told Martha. “Look at this little fellow.”
“May I?” Martha asked.
Georgia handed over the baby, and soon Martha was talking and cooing to him. The other women exchanged hopeful glances.
“As you can see, Mara is a fine woman,” Elizabeth told her. “A daughter-in-law that anyone could be proud of.”
“I certainly would be,” Clara said.
“She is an Indian,” Martha said stubbornly.
“That’s true,” Elizabeth agreed. “And her people have been driven off their land by the white man. If men like Mr. Walters have their way, Mara and Rose and Charlie will be driven off as well. Or worse.” She locked eyes with Martha. “It’s possible that if they are discovered they will be burned out of their home again. And they might not survive this time.”
“But that’s wrong,” Martha declared. “These children have Charles’ blood in them. They cannot be treated like that. I won’t allow it.”
“Perhaps if we band together,” Clara said. “If we could get enough settlers to stand by you and your grandchildren and daughter-in-law, perhaps we could stand up to the likes of Mr. Walters.”
“Where is Charles in all this?” Martha asked in a slightly desperate tone. “He should be here to protect his family.”
“I agree,” Elizabeth said. “But perhaps he felt it was more important to provide for them. Mara said that he wanted to get enough money to get them away from here…to take them someplace safe.”
With the baby still in her arms, Martha stood, looking at all of them with a defiant expression. “They will be safe with me.”
“All of them?” Elizabeth asked. “Because I have promised Mara that I will let no one take her children from her. I want you to understand that.”
“And I back her on it,” Clara said.
“As do I,” Georgia added. “And the reverend too.”
Martha frowned but then looked back into her grandson’s chubby face. “Yes. I will take all of them. I’ll take them home today. My sons and I will keep them safe until Charles returns.”
Elizabeth took in a sharp breath. She knew it was possible—maybe even likely—that Charles would never return. However, she did not intend to say this. Mostly she was relieved. Mara and her children would be cared for and protected—by their own kin.
“Georgia Holmes,” Martha said a bit sharply. “You were in on this from the very beginning, weren’t you?”
Georgia made a sheepish smile.
“That is why you insisted I drive the wagon out here today, wasn’t it? You don’t really have an ingrown toenail, do you?”
“I must confess…I told a falsehood. Please forgive me. It was for a good reason.”
“Shall we load them up and go home now?” Martha asked.
“First we will have tea,” Elizabeth told her. “Mara and Rose have been looking forward to it.” She nodded to her mother. “Can you play hostess for a bit? I’ll go ask Eli to get Mara’s things loaded into Martha’s wagon.”
Elizabeth felt like dancing as she went out to where Eli was working to level a piece of land where their barn would eventually be located. “It worked!” she called out to him. “Martha is taking all three of them home with her.”
Eli grinned. “I knew if anyone could pull that off it would be you, Elizabeth.”
“Would you mind gathering up Mara’s things from the cabin? She promised to have them packed up and ready to go.”
“I would be happy to.” He came over and hugged her. “Job well done, Elizabeth.”
As she returned to the house, she knew that the job was not really done. Her friendship with Mara and her children would continue. She would continue to support this little family, helping them to fit into school and church and life in their town for as long as they remained here.
Chapter Thirty-One
In early June, shortly after school broke for the summer, Belinda Bramford and Jacob Levine were married. By the time of the wedding, everyone in the settlement was aware that Mara and her children were living at the Levines’. Reactions varied. Some settlers accepted them. Some seemed unsure. And a few, like Mr. Walters, were antagonistic. But Elizabeth was glad to see that Mara and the children attended the wedding in the church as well as the reception in Malinda’s barn.
“I want you to meet my best friend, Malinda,” Elizabeth told Mara as she linked arms with her and walked her over to where Malinda was standing with Will. Elizabeth made introductions, even introducing the children. And Mara, still practicing her English, graciously shook their hands.
“Mara and her children lived with us for a while,” she said even though Malinda was well aware of this by now. “And I still miss her.” She grinned at Mara. “We were neighbors, weren’t we?”
“And friends,” Mara said simply. “We miss you too.”
“Well, now you will have my daughter for your neighbor,” Will said in a friendly tone. “Belinda has spoken warmly of you.”
“Belinda is a good girl.” Mara smiled. “She is good with children too.”
“She certainly loves your children,” Malinda said. “She talks about them all the time.”
Mara nodded down to Rose. “She made the dress for Rose.”
“Very pretty,” Malinda said.
Now Elizabeth changed the subject, telling Malinda that Goldie had calved several days ago. “A healthy heifer.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Malinda told her. “I’ve had two heifers and a bull this spring.”
“Do you have any interest in selling the bull?” Elizabeth asked.
“Now, now, ladies…” Will held his hands up. “Is this a wedding or a livestock auction?”
They both laughed, and soon they were joining in with the merriment, eating and dancing and congratulating the happy newlyweds. However, Elizabeth felt determined that somehow, between her father and brother and herself, her family would pool their resources to purchase that bull from Malinda.
As summer progressed, the town expanded. Will Bramford built a law office next to the mercantile, and because of his medical knowledge and the community’s needs, it doubled as a pharmacy. On the other side of the mercantile, which now had a lean-to on one side for a post office, a large building was going up. This impressive structure would house a hotel and restaurant that would be run by Ruby and Doris before the year was out. Down the street a ways was Flanders’ Blacksmith, and next to that was the new livery stable that Ezra Flanders was running with his new brother-in-law, Julius Prescott.
In just one year’s time, their settlement had grown dramatically. And if the rumors were true, it would be twice as big by next year. As happy as Elizabeth was about these changes, she was even happier about a tiny change going on inside of her. She’d kept the news of her pregnancy within the confines of her family at first, but by early fall, her midsection had increased enough that people in town had begun to suspect her family would be growing too.
In mid-October two delightful surprises occurr
ed. Actually, one was not a complete surprise, although it did arrive earlier than expected. Molly had a foal—a sweet little filly that Ruth named Pansy and claimed as her own. The second surprise was that Charles Levine came home. However, Charles was probably more surprised than anyone when he discovered that Mara was living with his mother.
“And when Charles saw his children,” Martha excitedly told Elizabeth at the mercantile, “well, he was just beside himself. He had no idea he had a son.” Then she happily boasted that Charlie, who wasn’t even a year old yet, was trying to walk. “And Rose has been helping Mara with the garden, and I’ve never had such produce growing.” She grasped Elizabeth’s hands and squeezed them. “Thank you, dear.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth told her.
By late October, the hotel was finished, and Doris and Ruby began to get settled in. “We made good money in Empire City,” Ruby told everyone as they all enjoyed a happy reunion dinner at Eli and Elizabeth’s house.
“But we never felt at home there,” Doris finished for her.
“Doris had a suitor though,” Ruby teased as she bounced Baby Maude on her knee. “A businessman named George Johnston. And I would not be surprised if we have a hardware store here by next summer.”
“We told a lot of folks at Empire City about our plans to come help develop this town with our friends,” Doris said. “But the problem was, this town does not have a name.” She frowned. “Don’t you locals think it’s about time to name this place?”
“As a matter of fact, that’s been a hot topic in these parts,” Asa told her.
A Home at Trail's End Page 28