by Diane Noble
Coarse laughter rose even louder along with some yee-haws and more whoops. “Tell Brother Gabriel?” one man guffawed. “Why, ma’am, he’s the one who sent us.”
Still laughing, the posse turned and headed back down the road.
Bronwyn and Mary Rose stepped out and caught a glimpse of them just before they disappeared. Andrew Greyson rode toward the rear, a guard on either side. His hands were tied behind him, and his head hung low.
Chapter Thirty-five
What is this all about?” Enid’s face was red, her hands shaking, when Mary Rose and Bronwyn reached the house.
“How are the children?” Mary Rose started up the stairs to get to them.
“Thank goodness, they slept through it all.” Enid put her hands on her hips and glared at Bronwyn. “What happened out there?”
“You’re going to have to trust me,” Bronwyn said. “And you must—we all must—get ready to leave. Immediately. I will explain on the way.”
Even as she said the words she wondered how she could she explain it all. And Greyson, how the thought of him cut her to the core. All was lost, the journals—all the evidence against the secret militia, the Danites, had been in his hands. Now he was taking their punishment. Her heart ached for him.
“Get the children,” she cried. “We’ve got to get out of here fast.”
“Leave? Where are you thinking of going?” Enid said.
She took Enid’s hand, exasperated. The woman obviously wouldn’t budge without at least some explanation
She sighed. “I promise to give you details—everything we’ve found out—later. But for now, believe me when I say Gabe is up to his neck in this vigilante group activity. The man was telling the truth. Gabe sent them for us.
“The boy in the garden, his death was the work of the Danites. I found proof. I also found a list of apostates in Gabe’s desk at the house in town.”
Enid’s mouth gaped open, but she clamped it shut as Bronwyn continued.
“My name was on it. Mary Rose’s too. Also Andrew Greyson, the newspaperman, and where he was camped. That’s how we found him to get the journals out. We did it because of the boy’s death. We need to get word to the outside about the group and the horrific acts they’re carrying out against those who disagree with them.”
“Does Brother Brigham know?”
Bronwyn let out another exasperated sigh. They didn’t have time for this. But one thing she’d discovered about Enid: she liked to know details; and she was stubborn. Without answers, she might not go. If she didn’t, she might endanger them all.
And there was Hosea. Waiting.
“I don’t think the prophet knows how far they’ve gone with this. I can’t believe he knows. It’s his teaching, but others are taking it perhaps more seriously than he intended.”
Enid took a shaky breath. “Where will you go?”
“I’d hoped you’d say ‘we.’ ”
“My name isn’t on the apostates list.”
“True, but can you stay here, living with a man you know is a killer?”
“I’ll never believe that about Gabe. I know him better than you or Mary Rose do. Better than anyone.”
Bronwyn bristled. Enid may have known him as a child, but she didn’t know him now. At least she didn’t want to believe that Enid’s words held any truth.
Mary Rose came down the stairs carrying a load of blankets and clothes. “I don’t believe it either, not in his heart of hearts. But he’s caught up in something bigger than he is. It’s mean and dark and done in the name of God. He may not see it yet, but I hope and pray he will someday.”
Bronwyn took Enid’s hand again. “Please come with us. We don’t have time to argue. And if you stay, you will be expected to tell where we’ve gone. They might not be easy on you, trying to get the information.”
“For one thing, I won’t know where you’ve gone, so what can I tell them? And truly, I don’t think Gabe would let them hurt me . . . and I can’t believe he would let them hurt either of you.”
“Think about his allegiance to the Church. It comes first. The prophet’s word is law. Where do you think his heart is?”
She studied Bronwyn for a moment, and then nodded. “I’ll ride with you. I’m not sure I’ll go with you the entire distance . . .” She opened her eyes wide as a realization came to her. “The wagon company that’s south of here. That’s where you’re headed, isn’t it?”
“Just get your things. We haven’t much time.”
Mary Rose trotted back up the stairs and a moment later returned with Joey, still asleep in the crook of her arm. She repeated the action to retrieve Spence, the second time a sleepy Little Grace trailed behind. Cordelia hurried up and down several times bringing satchels of clothes and a stack of blankets.
“I have no more time to talk,” Bronwyn said, starting up the stairs. “We’ve been expecting this for weeks, and now it’s time. If you’re with us, we’ll be happy. If you stay, you’ll be in our prayers.”
The children, not things, were most important to Bronwyn. While others gathered supplies, she checked on each of the little ones, making sure they were dressed for the journey, making sure their sleeping pallets were in place, favorite child-sized blankets near each.
Shoes! Did her little lambs have the shoes they needed for walking the trail, which they most certainly would have to do by journey’s end? She looked under beds and in trunks, searching for a left shoe here, a right one there, of varying sizes.
From the top of the stairs she looked back to see Enid pick up the Hawken and boxes of ammunition, put them by the door, then climb the stairs, appearing at the top a few minutes later with two large medical books, a satchel, and the book about horses she’d bought for Little Grace at the mercantile.
Within minutes, the children were piled in the back of the wagon with the blankets and food. Just as when they made their exodus from Nauvoo all those years before, Mary Rose drove the team with Cordelia and Bronwyn sitting beside her. Enid rode beside them, her expression unreadable.
Bronwyn swallowed hard as the little band started across the moonlit terrain.
If she let herself think about it, she thought she might drown in her own sorrow.
Gabe! What have you brought upon us all?
Chapter Thirty-six
Hosea and Coal sat near the campfire, Chuck curled up in the crook of Hosea’s arm.
“What’re we going to do when it comes time to go our separate ways?” Coal grinned at Hosea. “Who does he go with?”
Hosea chuckled. “Maybe we’ll just let him choose.” He paused, looking up at the starlit sky. “Either that or we’ll have to stick together.”
The boy got a dreamy look on his face, and Hosea was almost sorry for mentioning it.
“All of us together, one great big family,” he said. “I can see it now.”
Hosea stood and placed Chuck on the ground. He grabbed his walking stick, went over to the fire, and stoked it. Then he tossed on another couple of pieces of oak. The sparks flew.
Chuck trotted to a clump of cattails near the river, raised his leg, then trotted back and curled up beside Coal.
“Have you decided when to go see Enid?” Coal said as Hosea hobbled back to the stump he’d occupied earlier and sat.
“Boy, you’re pushing because you want to see fireworks better than those sparks I just stirred up.” He laughed. “Now that I told Bronwyn and Mary Rose, I need to tell her as soon as I can find her. I’m worried that now the cat’s out of the bag, it’s only a matter of time before she hears.”
“Tell me again how they took it.”
Hosea sat back and grinned. “I could tell your mama Mary Rose had it figured out somehow before I said my name.”
“She’s smart that way.”
“Yes, she is. Very smart.”
“Tell me about Mama Bronwyn.”
“Just when I think I have this whole polygamy thing figured out, you get to talking about your mothers and sisters, and
I can’t figure out from your perspective what’s wrong with it,” Hosea said. “I’ve never known anyone with two mothers before who loved them both the same.”
“Then what’s the ruckus all about with Gentiles when they get up in arms over polygamy? I’ve seen ’em ready to go to war with us because of it.”
“It’s different with men and women,” Hosea said. “Not as easy to share affection, I suppose. People don’t consider it natural, and sometimes it’s used as a way to wield power over women.”
“It’s in the Bible. King David had, well, hundreds of wives, didn’t he?”
“I can’t remember exactly how many, but a lot. I always figured that though God permitted it back then, it’s not what he knows is best for us, then or now. Like a lot of things. He gave mankind a gift called free will. Sometimes we use it in the right way, even to God’s glory. Other times we use it in a way that can cause us and others great pain.”
A balmy breeze came off the river, fluttering leaves, and bringing the sound of frog song closer.
“I know I wouldn’t ever want more than one wife,” Coal said, his expression serious. “I just wish that . . .” He didn’t finish, and Hosea knew he was thinking about Sarah. “You didn’t finish about Mama Bronwyn. What did she say when she found out your name?”
“She said I had the same beautiful, intelligent eyes that she remembered, and that she should have recognized me right off. She also said she likes the beard, that it gives me a scholarly look.”
Coal grinned. “That sounds like her.” Then he sobered. “When you tell Mother Enid who you are, what if . . . I mean, we were just talking about free will and all.” He looked worried, which touched Hosea.
“You’re wondering what if she turns away from me?”
Coal nodded.
“You’ve come all this way, thinking it was God’s will for you to do it. So, even if you do what you think is God’s will, what if she just goes ahead and does what she wants?”
Hosea gave him a gentle smile. “I’ve had the same questions in my own heart. Enid will go ahead and do what she wants. That’s the kind of person she is.”
Coal leaned forward. “How could you stand something like that happening? After everything you’ve been through . . .”
“I wouldn’t want her to pity me because of what I’ve been through.”
“I wouldn’t either,” Coal said. “I mean, if what happened to me the same as happened to you.”
“If she loves me for who I am, I’ll see it in her eyes. If she doesn’t, or if she pities me, I’ll know that too.”
“I hear something,” Coal said, and stood up. “Horses maybe. They’re not coming fast, whoever it is.”
Frowning, Hosea grabbed the stick and hoisted himself upright. The fire popped and cracked, the frogs raised a fuss, and the wind grew stronger, rattling leaves and branches. And his hearing wasn’t what it once was. He cupped his ear, and then nodded. “I hear horses, maybe a wagon.”
“It’s them. I know it is,” Coal looked ready to dance. “Do you think they’re ready? To leave, I mean? Maybe that’s why they’re coming.”
Hosea kept a calm exterior, but he was as ready to dance as the boy was.
And then he remembered.
He’d said to the women that he would be there for them if they ever needed him. They’d said they had to stay to find out who killed the boy and what it had to do with blood atonement.
This was too soon.
All thoughts of dancing disappeared as he watched the river road for the first sign of the travelers’ approach.
Bronwyn spotted a distant campfire through the trees and prayed that it was Hosea and Coal’s. The moon was higher now, helping to light their way.
Each creak of the wagon wheel, each step of the horses, brought them closer to safety. Hosea and Coal would take them to the wagon company, but could they get there in time? She shivered.
Wagon travel was slow at best, and with all the children and their supplies in back, plus three women riding, the two-horse team struggled on flat terrain.
Behind them, somewhere in the valley, the vigilantes met, probably planning to fan out and look for them. Would they go back to the ranch first? She hoped so. The more delays the better. She needed to put a greater distance between them and the Danites.
She didn’t like to think about the impossibility of their situation. A slow wagon trying to get away from a fired up, fast-riding posse of vigilantes, hell-bent for revenge?
The prophet might be reading the journals right now. And she shuddered to think what might be happening to Andrew Greyson, that good man with the gentle eyes and ready smile.
Her thoughts returned to what he’d done for them by carrying Mary Rose’s journals. Was there a way to rescue him? Where would they have taken him before the vigilantes carried out their threats? A shack somewhere? Someone’s barn? They might as well try looking for a needle in a haystack.
Enid rode up beside her. “Why are we coming here?”
“We met some people who said they would help us.”
“Can we trust them? “
“Yes.”
“How did you meet them?”
“They were with Andrew Greyson. I told you about finding the map with his name.” Enid deserved to know that Coal was there. She’d kept his secret as long as she thought it would protect him and the family. Secrecy was no longer needed. Besides, it would be enough of a surprise to see Hosea after all these years.
“One of them is Coal,” Bronwyn said.
Enid’s jaw dropped. “Our Coal?”
She smiled. “I know it’s a shock but, yes, our Coal.”
“How did he get here and why didn’t you tell me sooner? I am part of this family, you know.”
Bronwyn smiled to calm her down. “That’s why I’m telling you now. And truly, I didn’t know until recently. He met up with Greyson and . . . well, Greyson, back at Winter Quarters . . .” She filled Enid in on the rest of the story, though she had to admit, what she knew was sketchy at best.
She nodded and rode along in silence. Then she said, “Having Coal with us makes it even more dangerous. He’s been a hunted young man since Sarah’s wedding day. If that apostle finds out he’s here . . .”
“That’s why he kept his presence a secret even from us,” Mary Rose said, leaning forward. “He knew that we’d be in danger if he was seen with us.”
“That does it, then. I’m not coming with you. I’ll see you to the camp to make sure the people you trust are there, then I’ll double back.”
Bronwyn stared up at Enid, remembering what she’d said years before about intending to become Gabe’s first wife. Had she been biding her time, waiting for just this opportunity to make her dream come true?
And now that they were in greater danger because of Coal she decided to call it quits?
“I have to go back,” Enid said. “Please don’t try to talk me out of it.”
Bronwyn turned forward, working through their situation in her mind. She knew where they were going, the route they were taking, and now had the power to betray them all. Would she use that power?
“I see the campsite up ahead,” Enid said. “I’ll go in first to see if it’s Coal, and if not, if we can trust whoever it is.” She dug her heels into the horse, and took off down the road.
Mary Rose and Bronwyn looked at each other. It seemed neither one could stop their smiles, despite their dire circumstances.
“She’s going to see who it is?” Mary Rose said in wonder, and then laughed. “See if we can trust them?”
Bronwyn rolled her eyes heavenward. “God help us,” she said, meaning it. “Does she always have to be first?”
“I’d certainly like to know what you two are up to,” Cordelia said. “But from the sounds of it, it may be more entertaining to just watch it happen.”
Hosea watched as Enid rode into camp. She slid from her horse, looked Hosea up and down, and then turned her focus to Coal. He tried to contain h
is disappointment.
She stared at Coal, and he just stood there grinning at her.
She frowned and moved closer. “Coal?”
He nodded. “It’s me.”
“I just found out that you’re here. My goodness, child, you have grown.”
“That’s what everybody keeps saying.”
She opened her arms and hugged him.
Hosea could see there was more emotion in her actions than she let on. When she stepped back, she said, “What did you do to your hair?”
“I tried to fit in with the Dakota . . .”
“Now, that must be some story.”
“It is.”
She glanced at Hosea, a frown crossing her face for an instant, and then walked from the campsite out to the road.
Hosea and Coal followed.
A heavy-laden farm wagon creaked and swayed along the road. It was covered with white canvas, and drawn by a team of two. They would be better off with oxen, and Hosea hoped to buy or trade once they reached the wagon train.
Mary Rose halted the team, and Hosea stepped up to help the women down as best he could. Mary Rose gave him a warm smile, Bronwyn did the same, hugging him before stepping away. When he reached for Cordelia, she gave him a coquettish nod. “Well, sir, it appears this trip is getting more interesting all the time.”
Mary Rose and Bronwyn filled Hosea in on what had happened at the ranch, and Enid pulled Coal away from the others, speaking to him earnestly. He noticed that Coal nodded several times as she spoke, but Hosea couldn’t overhear what she said.
She strode back over to the others. “I’ve already told Mary Rose and Bronwyn that I’m going back,” she said.
Hosea’s heart froze.
How could she? After what she’d just found out about Gabe? Did she love him that much? Of course she did. Why else would she return?
He found it difficult to breathe, and even as she spoke, he turned away from her and stared at the fire. His dreams had been just that. Dreams. Easily burned to ashes. He was weary, so weary. It was time to go home.
The children were waking now, and Mary Rose said they needed to be on their way. She asked Hosea if he was coming with them.