Becky Lower

by The Reluctant Debutante

  “What a nightmare this trip has become,” Ginger said. “The only saving grace is Joseph and I are together again.”

  • • •

  The train, loaded with the seriously injured and dead from the Gasconade disaster, was shuttled back to New Haven for the water crossing. Joseph entered the car containing George and Charles.

  “Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Gray,” he nodded to them. “It is good to see you again, although I wish the circumstances were different.”

  “Thank you, Joseph, for all you’ve done to save the lives of the people who were trapped in those cars under all the bridge timbers. I’ll be forever grateful,” Mr. Gray said as he shook Joseph’s hand.

  “Had the situation been reversed, I have no doubt you would have done the same. Mr. Fitzpatrick, may we talk privately?”

  Charles and George exchanged a glance, then George stood and followed Joseph to a quiet corner of the car. Both men sat.

  “I am grateful to you as well, Joseph,” George began the conversation. “Not only did you pull my son and my best friend from the wreckage yesterday, but I never was able to properly thank you for finding Ginger in the woods in the Hamptons. I will be eternally thankful. She is my dear, precious child.”

  “She is a child no longer, Mr. Fitzpatrick, but a lovely, vibrant woman, and I love her as much as you do.”

  George fidgeted in his seat. “But you must know it’s for the best if you do not have her.”

  “I do not believe Ginger thinks so. Nor do I. I would like to ask for your blessing on our union.”

  “You know, I never approved of you being among our family this past summer. After Basil pulled his stunt at the Cotillion, it kind of tipped our hand, and we had to come up with a reasonable explanation for why you were among us. I thought Charlotte came up with a fairly plausible idea on the spur of the moment. But I knew all along we were playing with fire. I just didn’t realize how close to my family the blaze would come.”

  “I am in agreement with you about Basil. I thought from the beginning my being in New York was a bad idea. He compounded the problem by accepting the challenge of the horserace on my behalf. It was a foolish idea, nearly resulting in Ginger’s death.”

  “Basil’s crazy idea of bringing you east has had much more serious and long-lasting ramifications than a stupid horserace. Ginger has never really elaborated on the time she spent with you in the hunter’s cabin, but I assume something transpired between the two of you. My darling, charming daughter has been a shell of her former self since then.”

  George stared at the floor for a moment. When he looked back up at Joseph, he had tears in his eyes. “You should have seen the change in her from the minute she was offered this chance to come to St. Louis. She was once again the familiar, lovable Ginger we all adore. Just knowing she was going to be in the town where you lived brought my child back to life.”

  “And why does that bring tears to your eyes? I should think you would be pleased.”

  “She’s a young woman who has never known anything but New York and the coddled life I’ve been able to provide her. She has only a rosy picture in her head of what living with you would be like. But you have to know her fantasy does not come anywhere close to the harsh reality of life on the frontier. I’m afraid she’s made up her mind, so it is up to you to set her straight.”

  “You mean, you are asking me to misrepresent my feelings for her? To tell her I no longer love her?”

  “If telling her a lie is what it takes, man, please, I’m begging you.”

  Joseph shifted in his seat as he pondered George’s plea. His steely gaze pierced the man. “I am sorry, Mr. Fitzpatrick. I cannot honor your request. Years ago, I had a reoccurring dream, which my grandfather told me I would understand when the time was right. I now realize the dream foretold of meeting Ginger. The gods knew we were meant to be together and I cannot turn my back on our destiny. If we had not met each other in New York, we would have when she claimed her prize of a trip here to St. Louis when the season was done.”

  “You’re trying to tell me this entire charade we put on all summer was supposed to happen? Unbelievable.”

  Joseph locked eyes with George. “However you wish to explain it. But it was not a random act, and my feelings for Ginger were beyond my control from the first moment I saw her. As were hers for me. I know of your objections, which was why I tried to deny our feelings for most of the summer. And why I offered no protest when I was asked to leave.”

  “But yet, here we are. In the middle of the biggest disaster the Pacific Railroad has ever experienced, and you and Ginger have found each other again.”

  “Yes.”

  In the heavy silence that followed, the two men sat for some time, each lost in his own thoughts. Joseph was the first to speak.

  “I am well aware of the difficulties Ginger will face when she becomes my wife. I have encountered ridicule my entire life because of my background. But my Indian heritage is something I am very proud of and I will not deny it, as you and your family tried to do all summer. I will teach Ginger and our children, if we are fortunate enough to have them, about the Ojibwa people and their way of life.”

  “But it’s not just your Indian blood, Joseph. Surely, you know Ginger is used to having a maid, a housekeeper, a cook ...”

  “Yet she is a strong, vital woman, fully capable of taking care of herself and others. Did you not see her at the disaster site? She worked tirelessly, bandaging up people as they came ashore, consoling those whose loved ones had perished, calming the children.”

  “Yes, I’ll admit, she was the reassuring, rational one, from the moment we took our dive down the slope in the car. Thank the Lord she was there.”

  “Or the gods.”

  George turned to gaze out the window. After several minutes, he sighed heavily and looked back at Joseph, who was waiting and watching quietly.

  “Of all my girls, I think Ginger is the most capable of taking care of herself. There must be something to this ‘predestined’ idea of which you speak. We could have come into town, taken a little train ride, and gone home without running into you. Instead, we have a disaster of epic proportions, resulting in you and Ginger finding each other again.”

  “The circumstances are unfortunate, but the outcome would have been the same one way or another. I believed it the day I left New York. Otherwise, I never would have gone.”

  “So you’re here to ask for my blessing on your union?”

  “We would like to marry while you are still in St. Louis, so you can be in attendance. But whether you bless the union or not, Ginger will not be returning to New York.”

  “How can you be so confident in this matter?”

  “Because I know we are meant to be together.”

  George sighed, accepting the inevitable. “I’d like her mother to be here, too, so she can caution Ginger about what to expect of life on the frontier.”

  “Do you not think my mother is a better person to ask? She has been raising her family out here for thirty years.”

  George sighed again. “Yes, I expect so. All right then, Joseph. If you’ll consent to wait until Charlotte can arrive from New York, I’ll give you my blessing to marry my willful daughter. She will not make life easy for you.”

  “I will endeavor to make life easy for her, though. You need not worry about her safety. I would lay down my life for her.”

  “If I had any doubts about your ability to take care of her, I would not agree to your union. I was hoping with this trip Ginger would see what St. Louis was like and compare it unfavorably to New York, but she did just the opposite. She loved every moment of her time in town. I think she’ll be fine out here, with you by her side.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Just make certain to give me a healthy supply of grandchildren, will you?”

  “I will try my best. Will nine suffice?”

  “Nine is a nice number.”

  Chapter Forty

  It too
k several days before everyone finally made it back to St. Louis, and they were once again ensconced in the National Hotel. Charles Gray was able to procure a nurse to stay by his side at all times. His legs were properly splinted and wrapped, and his pneumonia seemed to be lessening, but it would be weeks before he would be able to board the train back to New York.

  George Fitzpatrick had the hotel room next to Charles, with Ginger across the hall. During the day they each spent time with Charles, although the medicine given him for pain made him extremely sleepy. During one of his many naps, Ginger knocked on her father’s door.

  “What a pleasant surprise, Ginger,” George said as he opened the door to see his young daughter. He kissed her cheek, and stepped aside so she could enter the room.

  “I’ve been so worried about Mr. Gray I have been forgetting to ask about your broken arm! How are you feeling, Papa?”

  He took a seat in the room’s only chair, and slumped, cradling his arm. “In comparison to what Charles is dealing with, it’s nothing. I’ll admit it aches, but I’ll be fine, thanks to your ministrations early on. Wherever did you learn to set a broken bone?”

  Ginger smiled. “Elizabeth Blackwell taught me last spring. Remember, I took her introductory class in nursing? Of course, I never would have met her if I hadn’t been a friend of Amelia Bloomer’s. So, you see, there is a real benefit to having me campaign for women’s rights.”

  “Well, you certainly were in the right place at the right time. You undoubtedly saved some lives, and lessened the pain and suffering of many others.”

  “But the ones who died while I was trying to help them will haunt my dreams for a long time.” She shuddered. “It was most definitely the worst thing I’ve ever lived through.”

  “I feel just terrible about all of this. It was my brilliant idea to bring you along on this trip.”

  Ginger looked at her father in surprise. “But Mr. Gray was the one who suggested it.”

  “He was doing me a favor. I knew you couldn’t say no to a client, but you could say no to your own father.”

  “But why did you want me to come? You have been so opposed to Joseph from the beginning. Surely, you must have known there was the risk of seeing him again.”

  “I wasn’t really counting on seeing him. After all, Basil said he’d not seen Joseph since he returned. We thought he was in Canada, so I figured it would be safe for you to visit. I thought we could just come to town, you’d see St. Louis was not the ideal town you had built it up to be in your mind, we’d take a little train ride, and leave for home. I just wanted to give you something to look forward to, to cheer you up a little. But because of my harebrained idea, I placed you in danger. Your mother and I could have easily lost you forever. Instead, we are merely losing you to St. Louis.”

  “What are you getting at, Papa?”

  “Did Joseph not ask for your hand in marriage?”

  Ginger smiled as she remembered. “It was not so much ‘asked’ as ‘told’ but yes, Joseph and I are planning to marry. When did you two find the time to talk?” She reflexively held her breath while waiting for his answer.

  “Well, we did have a few days together before we could cross the creek and get back to civilization. He mentioned something about a dream he’d had long ago, about lilacs or some such nonsense, and how it meant he was predestined to meet you and fall in love. I’m not saying I buy into any of it, but it does seem odd that we are all here, and this disaster brought us all back together again, just like last summer.”

  “Does this mean you approve of the marriage?”

  “It’s going to be a much harder life for you than you imagine. I’d be lying if I said Joseph was my first choice for you. I’d much rather you marry someone who can provide you with the lifestyle you’ve enjoyed up until now. You’ll end up with hands as rough and callused as his are, and the life here will be brutal at times. But, if anyone is capable of standing by his side and helping to carve out a decent life on this frontier, you can. Of all my daughters, you are the only one I’d consider capable of leaving a life of privilege behind.”

  Ginger went to her father’s side and knelt by his chair. He ran his hand lightly over her hair as tears filled her upturned eyes. “He is a good man, Papa.”

  “Yes, daughter, I know. And he’s got the strength of character you need, for you are one strong lady yourself. Please talk to his mother, though, about what will be expected of you as a frontier wife before the marriage takes place. I want you to know firsthand what you’re getting yourself into. And, it’s most selfish of me, but I will miss having you beside me every day at the bank.”

  “I think I will miss our time together at the bank most of all, too.”

  “Now you know what you have to do, don’t you?”

  “You mean, convince Mother to accept Joseph as the only man for me?”

  George smiled. “It will be no easy task. She’s decided nothing less than a military man will suffice.”

  “Will you not help me at all?”

  “I’ll step in if needed, but this is something I’d rather the two of you discuss between yourselves. All I’ve ever wanted is peace and harmony in the family. And I told Joseph I expect no less than nine grandchildren from the pair of you, so the sooner you marry the better, as far as I’m concerned.”

  Ginger glanced up in amazement at her father. Well, bless my bloomers.

  • • •

  Mary Tall Feather opened the cedar trunk in the bedroom of her family’s home and reverently took her wedding dress from storage. It had been carefully wrapped in a piece of cloth. As she removed the cloth from the gown, Ginger’s breath escaped in a long sigh.

  “It’s exquisite, Mary!”

  She ran her fingers over the fine beadwork on the white deerskin, and the long fringe on the bottom edge of the skirt. Feathers were attached to the sleeves.

  “Here, Ginger. Hold it up to you and let us see if it fits. We are about the same size.”

  Ginger eagerly held the dress up and let her hands fondle the feathers. “Will I look good in this, Mary? It’s so different from anything I’ve ever worn before.”

  Mary watched this white woman whom her eldest son had chosen for a wife. It was hoped, when her own father arranged her marriage, that she and her children would assimilate themselves into the white man’s culture. So, this is to be the way, she guessed. Her father was a wise man, and her son had chosen wisely. Ginger would be a most welcomed daughter.

  “You would look lovely in anything you chose to wear on your wedding day. Try this on, and let me see if it needs any adjustment.”

  As Ginger went behind a screen to change into the dress, she ventured a question. “Were you anxious on the night of your wedding?”

  Mary laughed. “I was more frightened than anything. I was just a young woman, only fifteen years old.”

  “But were you madly in love with Emile?”

  Mary remembered the circumstances that led up to her hasty wedding. “No, I had not even met him. My father knew the Indian ways were soon to die out and the best way for his daughter to survive and prosper was to marry into white society. He waited for a capable man to come into his camp, one he thought could provide a decent life for me and give me many fine sons. When he met Emile, he asked if I could accompany him when he left.”

  Ginger shivered as she stood in the same dress Mary had worn that day, imagining Mary’s emotions her first evening as a bride. Her heart went out to the frightened young girl, and was glad she now was a happy woman, with many strong sons and a lovely young daughter.

  Ginger came out from behind the screen and the two women looked at each other.

  Mary nodded before she declared, “It will do nicely.”

  Ginger grasped Mary’s hands in her own. “Thank you, Mary, for allowing me to wear your gown. I think it is most fitting, because I’m about to begin a new life. Can you share with me some of what your daily life is like here? What challenges will I face? My father is also a wi
se man, and he told me you are the perfect person to tell me exactly what my new life will be like.”

  “It will be much hard work. I will help you learn what is expected of you. But, at the end of each day, if you can climb into bed with the man you love, even life on the frontier can be rewarding.” Mary smiled at her, and kissed her cheek. “You are a good match for my Joseph.”

  • • •

  An hour later, when they emerged from the room, Ginger was surprised to find Joseph waiting for her. She thought he was out with the horses. But he had been pacing in the living room while she and Mary talked. She went to him and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Are you pacing because your mother and I took so long? And that she was telling me all your secrets?”

  He smiled at her. “No, ma petite. Does my mother’s dress fit you?”

  “Joseph, it’s the most gorgeous dress! I can’t wait for the ceremony.” She lowered her voice, “For more reasons than being able to wear the dress.”

  He captured her lips in a light kiss. “Do you remember what I told you the night in the Hamptons cabin?”

  “You told me many wonderful things that evening. Which are you referring to?”

  “My reply when you asked if I planned to keep you barefoot and pregnant.”

  Ginger smiled up at him as she remembered his response. “You said you would let me wear moccasins, as I recall.”

  He released her and retrieved a box from under a chair. “Open it, please.”

  Inside the box was the most exquisite pair of moccasins she had ever seen. They were light tan in color, highly beaded, and about mid-calf in height. There was a row of fringe around the cuff. She ran her fingers over them, luxuriating in the buttery-soft feel of the hide. Tears filled her eyes.

  “Did you make these?”

  He nodded. “I started them the day I got home from New York. I knew we would meet again. I remembered how your feet felt when I held them in my hands that night, after I took off your muddy boots, and was able to gauge the size of these moccasins from that memory.”