Colin's Quest

by Shirleen Davies

  Although Sarah knew her father’s threat was as real as the sweltering summer heat, she would see Colin again—if only to say goodbye.

  Colin stared at the moon, knowing it had to be past midnight. Sarah hadn’t come or sent word through her sister, Geneen, the one person she could trust. She’d missed their meeting four nights in a row, and had barely stepped outside their wagon at any of the stops. Every instinct he had told him to confront MacGregor, confess his love for Sarah, and accept the consequences.

  At the sound of leaves crunching underfoot, he turned, seeing his father come up behind him, clasping a shoulder and squeezing.

  “It’s time to bed down, Colin.”

  Colin’s chest squeezed as he turned pain-filled eyes to his father. “I love her, Da.”

  “I know, lad.” Angus thought a moment, choosing his words carefully. “Come. Walk with me.” They took a deer path along a small hill, using the full moon for light. When they were a hundred yards from camp, Angus broke the silence. “You’re almost a man, Colin, and I’m certain you know your heart. My question is, what do you intend to do about your feelings?”

  “I’ll ask MacGregor for her hand.” Colin explained his plan to have Sarah continue to California with them until they were old enough to obtain Dougal’s approval to marry. Sarah had explained he wouldn’t give approval to marry anyone until she’d turned twenty-one. Colin didn’t care if he waited two years or ten, Sarah was the woman he wanted. Angus listened, his face a mask. “Will you support me on this, Da?”

  He thought over his son’s words, knowing they had less than three weeks to arrange a betrothal with Dougal. “Are you certain Sarah feels the same?”

  “Yes. As God is my witness, we share the same love.”

  “Then we will speak with your Ma. She and Robena MacGregor have become friends. It isn’t much, but any help with MacGregor will be accepted.”

  “Pull the wagons as close as you can and tighten down the canvases,” the wagon master shouted as the sudden summer storm pounded them with drops the size of small stones.

  Lightning speared from the sky in every direction, hitting the ground a few hundred yards all around. Even the stalwart oxen bristled at the flashes and subsequent thunder. Cows, so carefully tended throughout the journey, panicked, stampeding in fear as the wind and rain increased.

  “Let them go,” Angus yelled to the younger boys tending the animals, motioning them back to the wagons. “We’ll find them when this passes.”

  Canvas covers on several wagons tore away, slapping as the wind turned into a gale, sweeping rain through the open wagons, soaking all within. The ground turned into a muddy mess within minutes, sucking the boots right off the men’s feet as they scrambled to secure their families and belongings.

  A crack of thunder followed by a loud scream had Colin shifting to stare toward Sarah’s wagon. The canvas had nearly ripped off, the ropes whipping around, creating a danger to the women inside. Abandoning the work he’d been doing, he rushed to their wagon, grabbed Sarah around the waist and lifted her off the wagon, then gripped her shoulders to stare into her eyes.

  “Take your mother and sisters and get in our wagon. You’ll be safe there.”

  She grabbed her youngest sister’s hand and started to run, seeing Geneen and their mother follow the moment Colin set them on the ground. Kyla reached out her hands, helping them into the MacLaren wagon.

  Colin stood at the back, sending Sarah a reassuring glance. With a quick nod, he returned to securing their own wagons before helping Angus with the animals.

  The storm hovered above them for what seemed like hours. Wheels shifted, sinking into the soaked ground, causing wagons to tip precariously. Men rushed to haul the wagons upright, securing them with ropes and stakes, which quickly gave way in the water-logged ground.

  Through it all, Colin had yet to see one sign of Dougal or the other MacGregor men. Not once did anyone come back to check on the women and children. He suspected they chased panicked cows and horses. Colin’s gut clenched in disgust at men who’d let their families fend for themselves in such a raging storm while chasing animals easily found when the rain passed.

  “Colin, we’ve done all we can for now. Blaine and Camden are in the wagon. Join them, make certain everyone is all right. I’m going to check on Gillis and the others.” Angus pulled his drenched coat around him, trying to keep his boots from sticking in the deep mud as he made his way to his brothers’ wagons.

  “I’ll go with you,” Colin called after him. All he got was a raised hand, warning him off. Wiping rain from his face, he grabbed hold of the wagon frame and pulled himself inside, staring into a sea of tired and strained faces. Without thought, his gaze searched for Sarah, finding her sitting at the front with his mother.

  “You stay put,” Kyla said to Sarah. “I need to check on the girls.” She rose, nodding at Colin to take her place as she moved in the cramped space, finding a seat next to the twins.

  Colin lowered himself next to Sarah, letting their thighs touch as he ran his hands through his hair, squeezing out the moisture. Lowering his hands, he turned toward her, his heart swelling at the look of adoration in her eyes.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispered so no one else could hear, grasping her hand in his. “We have to talk.”

  “I know, but how? Da doesn’t let me get more than a few feet away from the wagon.” She threaded her fingers through his and squeezed.

  “Everyone will be busy for the next two days, cleaning up after the storm, searching for lost animals, and repairing wagons. Your da can’t watch you every minute. We’ll find a way.” He leaned toward her, wishing he could brush his lips across hers. He’d kissed her for a brief moment once and couldn’t forget the taste of her. He had no intention of ever forgetting.

  “Robena, Sarah, are you in there?”

  Sarah’s frightened eyes locked on Colin at the sound of her father’s voice. Without thought, he leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek before launching himself out the front of the wagon as the back flap flew open.

  Dougal’s dark gaze raked over those inside, searching for one face but not seeing it. “Robena, it’s time to return to our wagon,” he barked out. When she didn’t move right away, he leaned further inside, glaring at her. “Now, wife.”

  By the time the MacGregors climbed from the wagon, Colin had made his way over to his father and uncles, keeping watch as Sarah approached on her way to their wagon. Dipping his head, he shifted enough to let his side touch hers as she passed by.

  “MacGregor,” Angus called after him.

  Dougal turned, fisted hands on his waist. “What is it you want, MacLaren?”

  “Let your family stay in our wagon. You have two days of repair to get yours back in shape.”

  “Where my family sleeps is no business of yours.”

  “There’s no reason for them to sleep without cover when we have room for them,” Angus tried again.

  “Ach, you’re as thick as a chapel stone, MacLaren. I said no. We don’t want or need your charity.”

  Ewan came up beside Angus, shaking his head as Dougal stormed away. “The man has no thoughts of anyone except himself. At least you offered.”

  “As if it did any good.” Angus cast a look at Colin, already knowing the outcome of any discussion about Sarah with her father. His heart ached for his son. There would be no future for those two.

  The next two days passed in slow frustration for all the settlers. Few wagons were spared and most families lost some of their supplies. As Colin predicted, he and Sarah had been able to talk when the MacGregor men left in search of the rest of their small herd of cattle.

  Grabbing her hand, he drew her past the wagons and into the privacy of a stand of pines. He wasted none of the few precious moments they had.

  “I’m going to ask your da for permission to marry you, Sarah.”

  Her hands covered her mouth, her eyes going wide, then closing as tears threatened.

  M
isinterpreting her reaction, Colin wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You do love me, don’t you, Sarah?”

  Nodding, she let the tears run down her cheeks as arms circled his neck. “Yes, I love you. More than you know.”

  Hugging her close, he lowered his head to her ear. “I love you, Sarah, and want to spend my life with you.” Brushing a kiss across her lips, he leaned back to look at her. “This is what Da and I plan to do.”

  Two weeks passed since the storm’s damage had been repaired and the wagons resumed their journey. Colin had spotted Sarah a few times, but knew the trouble it would cause if he approached her.

  He derived comfort from knowing they’d said all they could about their future the night after the storm. All they could do now was communicate through messages passed through Geneen. MacGregor had reaffirmed his order forbidding Sarah from ever speaking to or seeing Colin again. As before, he’d confined her to the wagon, allowing her outside only for personal needs and to help her ma prepare meals.

  “She cares about you deeply, Colin. Do not doubt it.” Geneen had taken her own risks getting word to him. “Sarah is miserable. I wish there was something I could do.”

  “You are doing enough. There is no purpose in bringing your da’s wrath down on you also.”

  “We reach Fort Hall in four days. What will you do?” At sixteen, Geneen seemed old for her years, holding wisdom many adults would welcome.

  “My da and I will meet with yours. I will ask for her hand.”

  Geneen’s eyes grew wide. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking?” She gripped his arm tight, surprised Sarah had not told her of their plan. “He’ll never allow her to marry any MacLaren. Not while there is a breath in his body. Da cannot get over old feuds, no matter how far from the old country we travel. He’s a bitter man, full of hate.” She glanced around, reassuring herself they were alone. “You must take her and run. If you love her, you’ll leave and not look back.”

  “You’re asking me to steal her away, leave our families, and take our chances alone?”

  “Nae. I’m saying the both of you should go while you can. Hide, then meet your family somewhere between Fort Hall and California.”

  “That’s a fool’s journey, Geneen. I’ve no experience on the trail alone. My mistakes could get us killed.”

  “Aye, but you have three days to prepare and talk with your da. Surely he’ll help you.”

  Trying to think, he paced a few feet away. He’d thought the same more than once, discarding the idea each time, knowing MacGregor would send men after them, accuse Colin of kidnapping. No matter Sarah’s denials, he’d find a way to punish both of them, possibly sending Colin to prison. There’d be little his family could do.

  Turning toward Geneen, he shook his head. “I cannot ask my family to aid me in such an effort. Nae, we will speak to your father as men and come to a reasonable understanding so Sarah and I can marry. I don’t want to ask her to start a life by running from her family, perhaps never seeing you again.”

  Geneen caught her lower lip, then shook her head slowly. “He’ll never agree to a union—not between you and Sarah. All we can do now is pray that God will soften his heart so when you and your da state your case, he might listen.”

  Offering her a weary smile, he nodded. “Then we will pray.”

  “Are you ready, lad?”

  “Aye, as ready as I can be.”

  They’d waited until the last night on the trail. Tomorrow morning the wagons would enter Fort Hall, a major stopping point for emigrants along the Snake River. From there, the MacGregors would travel west, then north, following the trail through Oregon to the Willamette Valley. The MacLarens would journey southwest to their destination at the base of Boundary Mountain.

  Colin turned to Angus and let out a steadying breath. “Let’s go.”

  The MacGregors sat around a fire, finishing their evening meal. Unlike the MacLaren camp, where laughter and constant conversation filled the time, this camp was solemn, oppressive. A sense of foreboding crept through Colin as they walked straight up to Dougal.

  Without acknowledging them, Dougal washed down his food with coffee and set his cup aside.

  “You’ve wasted your time, MacLaren.”

  “But you’ve yet to hear why we’ve come,” Angus replied, frustration at the man’s lack of respect burning a hole in his gut.

  “I know why you’re here and my daughter will never marry your boy. I’ll send her to a convent before I’d let that happen.”

  A collective gasp from Dougal’s wife and Sarah had no impact on him.

  “Mr. MacGregor, let me—”

  Standing in one abrupt move, Dougal whirled on Colin, their chests touching. To his credit, Colin stood firm, glaring into the older man’s eyes.

  His face red, eyes bulging, he repeated his message. “You’ll not have my daughter. It makes no difference if you offer all you and your family own. She’ll never be yours.”

  Colin took his gaze off Dougal long enough to glance at Sarah, tears streaming down her face as her mother wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Anger swelled within him. He should be the one comforting Sarah, telling her to forget what her da said and believe they still had a future. Sarah had to understand he’d never give up on them—not ever.

  Angus stepped forward, trying to ease the tension. “Perhaps if we calm down—”

  This time Dougal’s wrath turned on Angus. “Take your kin and leave.” He jutted his chin toward Colin, unmistakable hatred blazing from bloodshot eyes. “We’ll speak of this no more.”

  “But, Da…” Sarah tore herself from her mother’s embrace and ran toward Dougal. “Please, Da, just listen to him.” She got to a foot from him before his massive arm swung out, knocking her to the ground.

  Colin could take no more. Launching himself onto Dougal’s back, he grabbed the man’s arms, wrenching them backward, pulling him away from Sarah.

  “You’ll not hurt her,” Colin yelled, his voice containing all the pent up fury he felt for the vile man.

  Dougal whirled, throwing Colin from his back, then turned toward his wife. “Take her to the wagon,” he ordered, shooting a gaze at Sarah. He spun back toward Colin who charged, ramming his head into Dougal’s stomach.

  The man stumbled backward, falling over a log before landing with a thud. “I’ll kill you,” he bellowed before storming toward Colin.

  As if prearranged, the three oldest MacLaren men and their sons appeared from out of the darkness, standing behind Colin.

  “You fight one of us, you fight us all, MacGregor. Make your decision carefully,” Angus warned, inserting himself in front of Colin.

  Even with his one brother and cousin, Dougal knew they were no match for the four brothers and oldest sons. Although he wanted nothing more than to teach the MacLarens a lesson, he couldn’t afford to get hurt before finishing their journey to Oregon.

  Dougal stepped up to him. “You take your boy and go. Do not let him near me or mine again. I won’t be responsible for what happens to him if you do.”

  Angus’s eyes narrowed on him before nodding, then turning to Colin.

  “It’s over, lad. Let’s go.” He took his son’s arm.

  “Da…I can’t—”

  Angus yanked Colin to him, sending him a stern look. “You will do as I say and leave. It’s done.” Pushing his son ahead of him, Angus followed, his body shaking with anger at MacGregor and grief for his son.

  They’d made it no more than twenty feet when Sarah’s anguished cry carried through the night.

  “Colin!” His name echoed through the camp, then her voice grew silent.

  Angus tightened his grip on Colin, Gillis and Ewan using their bodies to keep him from moving away. His eyes focused ahead, Angus forced himself not to look at his son, already knowing what he’d see.

  Nodding to his brothers as they reached their wagons, Angus guided Colin ahead, detouring toward an outcropping of rocks, then let go of his arm.

  �
�You will not go near the MacGregor’s camp again, do you understand?”

  Colin’s tormented face nearly brought Angus to his knees, but he wouldn’t relent. Colin’s life might depend on him agreeing to let Sarah go.

  “Colin, did you hear me, lad?”

  Swallowing the bitterness he felt, Colin nodded before fastening a determined look on Angus. “I will stay away from her…for now. But I will never let Sarah go. One day, she will be mine, Da. I swear before God she will.”

  In a somber mood, the MacLarens entered Fort Hall the following morning. The events of the night before had affected all of them, and besides Colin, perhaps none more than the oldest MacLaren. They spoke little of it, yet all had experienced the same youthful love, accepting it as part of what their ancestors called the MacLaren curse. When MacLaren men found love, they gave their heart for life. It had happened to their father, then to Angus, Gillis, Ewan, and Ian. Although they’d joked about it over the years, acknowledging it to be more a fairy tale than fate, it appeared there’d be no changing the MacLaren legacy.

  “I need to see her once more, Da. I can’t let her go without saying goodbye.”

  Angus knew this conversation would come. He’d spoken to Kyla about it, already deciding what would be done. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small object, wrapped in almost threadbare material, and handed it to Colin.

  His brows knitting together, Colin looked down on it in confusion. “What is it?” He let Angus slip it into his hand.

  “It belonged to my ma, your gram. When she died, her wish was that this go to the oldest MacLaren grandson, then passed on to his wife. It is yours, Colin. You can choose the lass you give it to.”

  Colin’s hands shook as he let the object slide from the fabric. His gaze shot to Angus, then back down to the most beautiful brooch he’d ever seen. Made of silver, the oval brooch, open in the center, had crosshatched hand engraving on the face, three Citrine stones on the top were set in an ornate silver wing, with one stone set on the bottom. He held it in his palm, already envisioning Sarah wearing it.