Her apprehension calmed by several degrees, but she couldn’t relax completely. “I’m not sure,” she admitted.
He glanced away, his expression troubled. Would he go back on his word?
She couldn’t allow him the opportunity. “But it will be fine in a few days,” she quickly assured him, praying it wasn’t a lie.
There was no blood spurting out, or bones sticking through her skin. No signs of something in need of immediate attention. So, it wasn’t anything serious, surely?
But what if she was wrong? Not letting the doctor look at her could have devastating consequences later on. She pushed the worrying thought aside, however.
Protecting her secret was more important than coddling a minor injury. She wouldn’t allow irrational fears free rein, causing her to make a decision that might all too easily prove disastrous for her and Adela.
Josiah captured her gaze again. “Does it hurt to move your arm?”
She rotated her shoulder, demonstrating that her range of motion wasn’t hindered. “It’s sore, but not the sharp pain from when it first happened. It’s more of a dull ache now.”
“And your shoulder’s the only thing that hurts?” he checked. “You don’t have any pain anywhere else?”
She shook her head. Her derriere, where she’d hit the ground hard, was a bit tender, and sitting down would be uncomfortable for the next few days. But that wasn’t something she’d ever mention in front of him.
He was silent for a minute before he seemed to reach a decision. “Well, I’m no doctor, but I suppose I’ve managed to pick up enough from my brother and from working with horses to make a decent estimation of whether an injury’s serious or not.” His tense expression eased somewhat. “It doesn’t sound like anything’s broken. It’s probably just bruised.”
She gaped at him until she realized he was talking about her shoulder and not another part of her anatomy. “I’m sure you’re right.”
“But we don’t want it to become a bigger problem. I’ll get some medicine from my brother that will help it heal.” He held up a hand as she opened her mouth to speak. “It’s not up for debate.” The determined set of his expression made it clear he wouldn’t budge.
Snapping her mouth closed, she nodded.
He settled his hat back on his head and moved toward the rear of the wagon. “I’ll be back.” Climbing to the ground, he disappeared from sight.
Though he had agreed to her request, she remained uncertain of his true intent. He’d been kind and decent to her thus far—but he was still little more than a stranger. Could she trust his word?
He wouldn’t be the first man who made false promises to her. Charles Worthington, her ex-fiancé, had been the son of her father’s boss. They’d been acquainted for years, and he had appeared all that was good and honorable. But his entire character was a lie.
After she’d discovered the truth and called off their marriage just days before the wedding, her father was left with a mountain of debts to cover the costs for a ceremony that never happened. Even though the elaborate and expensive preparations had been done at her future mother-in-law’s insistence, the Worthingtons had directed all bills to Mattie’s father. But he was unable to pay them, as he’d been fired from his job and blacklisted by his former employer for the embarrassment Mattie had caused by calling off the wedding.
With the loss of income and mounting demands for payment from countless local business owners, the situation had become grim. Especially when several of her father’s investments failed to bring the returns he was counting on. He’d been forced to sell the family home to cover the debts, and afterward he had no desire to stay in Saint Louis. Their remaining money had gone toward the wagon and supplies, with the hope of a better life awaiting them in Oregon Country.
Mattie thanked the Lord every day that she’d escaped from her ex-fiancé, a man who was a sinner to his core. But she never forgot that her loved ones had paid the price for her freedom.
Was trusting Josiah yet another mistake that would hurt her family?
She hadn’t known him for very long. Only a couple weeks. It was entirely possible he could have fooled her for that length of time. Though she couldn’t imagine why he would put up a front for someone as insignificant as “Matt,” that didn’t mean he hadn’t.
Her anxiety level rose at the thought.
Now would be the perfect opportunity for Josiah to go running to Miles Carpenter. His promise might be nothing more than a smoke screen, allowing him to catch her by surprise.
Please, Lord, show him to be a good and honest man, that I haven’t misplaced my trust again.
She waited, her ears straining for any noises that would tell her what was going on outside the wagon. But all she heard were the typical sounds of the camp settling in for the night. Still, when the canvas flap was suddenly pulled back she expected the worst.
It was only Adela, however. Mattie willed her heart to return to its normal rhythm, but she was too on edge.
The younger girl climbed into the wagon, her face revealing her consternation. “I’m sorry, Mattie. I didn’t mean to do it. Please, say you believe me!”
She appeared so contrite that Mattie didn’t have the heart to scold her. “I do.”
Adela wrung her hands. “What is he going to do?”
Mattie placed her hand over Adela’s, stilling their nervous movement, but before she could answer, a knock sounded on the covered wagon’s wooden frame and both sisters jumped.
Giving Adela’s fingers a comforting squeeze, Mattie moved past her to lift the flap, dreading who she’d see there. But it wasn’t the wagon master, or even Elias.
Only Josiah. “Here’s the liniment for your shoulder.”
She accepted the jar he held out.
Adela came up beside her. “If you don’t need me, Mattie, I’ll check on dinner.”
“Go ahead.” She moved aside, allowing Adela to exit the wagon.
Josiah offered his arm and helped the younger girl to the ground.
Mattie didn’t immediately retreat back inside. “Did you have any problems getting this?” She indicated the jar.
He shook his head, but a shadow crossed his expression. He didn’t offer anything more, however.
It appeared he had kept his word. Thus far.
She immediately felt ashamed for assuming he might yet break her trust. Was she doing him an injustice, judging him on another man’s actions and not his own merit?
Josiah hadn’t given her any reason to doubt his integrity. Instead of using the knowledge of her inexperience against her—as he’d had ample opportunity to do—or simply leaving her to flounder alone, he’d provided assistance. And from the start, when he’d spared her from a beating at Hardwick’s hands, Josiah had helped Mattie without expecting anything in return.
Though it was difficult for her to take any man at face value, she had no option other than to put her faith in Josiah.
“Thank you for the liniment.”
He nodded in acknowledgment, but didn’t say anything more.
She released the flap and the material fell back into place, cutting off her view of him.
* * *
Josiah moved to the far side of the wagon circle, hoping to avoid questions about why he was loitering here. It seemed like nothing went unnoticed in the close proximity on the trail.
He was amazed that Mattie had avoided detection this long. But somehow she had.
And he couldn’t do anything that would draw undue attention to her now.
He scanned the rapidly darkening landscape. Though there wasn’t likely to be many people wandering outside the circle of covered wagons, the men assigned to guard duty would be heading to their posts soon. For now, Josiah didn’t see any movement, nor did he hear anything other than the normal sounds
of night closing in on the prairie. Everything seemed peaceful and harmonious for the wagon train. Yet he knew they’d all be thrown into turmoil if Mattie’s deception was revealed.
After the experiences of his childhood, he couldn’t help worrying about what might then befall the Prescott sisters. And imagining the worst.
His mother’s life hadn’t been easy after her husband learned her second son was another man’s child. Samuel Dawson wasn’t a forgiving man. Refusing to take responsibility for the fruit of his wife’s indiscretion, he’d abandoned her and cruelly kept their son, Elias, from her.
Left with no choice but to live with a man not her husband, both Louisa and Josiah had suffered the derisive remarks and disdainful looks of self-righteous people as far back as he could remember.
Though his father was gone more often than not, at least the arrangement had offered Louisa a measure of financial support and security. After his death, however, she’d been preyed on by men more than willing to take advantage of the situation.
Now, Josiah feared the same happening to Mattie and her sister if they were ejected from the wagon train.
His hands clenched into fists at the thought. He’d been powerless to do anything to help his mother, but he was grown now and wouldn’t let the same thing occur this time.
No man would be given the opportunity to take advantage of either Prescott sister.
And Mattie was right that secrecy was her best protection right now. The more people who knew her true identity, the more likely it wouldn’t remain a secret.
Josiah was absolutely certain Elias would never betray her, but he felt he had no choice other than to keep this from his brother since he’d given Mattie his word.
Elias had been sitting with Rebecca by their campfire when Josiah arrived at their covered wagon to collect the medicine. And after stating his intention, it had been all he could do to convince the doctor that it wasn’t necessary for him to personally examine Mattie.
Although no false words had passed Josiah’s lips, his conscience wasn’t untroubled.
But, for Mattie’s sake, he’d simply have to live with it.
* * *
Mattie finished rubbing liniment into her shoulder, then refastened the top two buttons on her father’s shirt. She replaced the cover on the jar and moved to the back of the wagon. Intending to ask Josiah to return the medicine to his brother, she poked her head outside only to find that he wasn’t waiting as she’d expected.
She turned her eyes toward his family’s covered wagon and spotted Elias and Rebecca sitting by their campfire. Josiah wasn’t with them, and a quick glance around didn’t reveal him anywhere else. It wasn’t his and Mattie’s night for guard duty, so where was he? Perhaps he had gone to check on his horses. In which case, he should return soon.
Unless he didn’t plan to come back past here.
Her fingers tightened around the jar in her hand. She shied away from delivering it to the doctor personally, preferring to avoid the possibility of probing questions. She drummed her free hand against the top edge of the wagon frame and debated what to do.
A noise on the far side of the wagon drew her attention. She turned her head and strained to peer through the darkness. Was it Josiah? But what would he be doing in that direction? The horse enclosure was out past the opposite side of the wagon circle.
An unnerving possibility occurred to her. What if it was someone skulking about, up to no good? Nightmarish images flooded her head. She quickly slammed a mental door against the onslaught. She was letting her imagination run away with her. Except for that one brief sound, she hadn’t heard anything suspicious.
Still, it would be prudent to investigate. She’d rest easier once she assured herself there was nothing sinister lurking in the dark.
She climbed to the ground, careful to move slowly and silently to keep the element of surprise. Her heart pounding, she rounded the corner of the covered wagon. And barreled straight into a solid object.
She stumbled back, and the forgotten jar of liniment slipped from her fingers. A scream rose in her throat as a pair of hands grabbed her arms. A second before she let loose a screech sure to bring the whole camp running, she recognized Josiah in the faint light cast by the moon. At the same time, she realized he’d taken a hold of her only to steady her.
She put a hand over her heart to slow its racing. “What are you doing out here?” Besides scaring her half out of her wits.
“I was waiting for you.” He released her and stepped back, then bent to retrieve the liniment, which had come to rest against the toe of his boot.
The small jar wouldn’t have done much good as a weapon if she’d run into someone dangerous, but she hadn’t thought to bring anything else with her. Thank the Lord it was Josiah she’d encountered.
He balanced the jar of liniment on the wagon wheel and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a roll of cotton bandages and a small container. “I brought these for your hands.” He tucked the bandages under his arm and opened the container. “This salve will keep the cuts and blisters from getting infected.”
She bit her lower lip in consternation. She’d known it wasn’t wise to leave the wounds unattended, but hadn’t wanted to draw attention to her soft, white hands. She’d hoped to avoid giving anyone reason to think she couldn’t do her share of the work. It could have proved a very foolhardy decision, however, had they festered, making it impossible for her to use them at all.
She extended a hand to take the salve. Instead of passing it to her, he grasped her wrist and pulled her palm toward him.
At the realization that he intended to apply the salve himself, she tried to tug her hand away. “I can do it.”
He shook his head and didn’t relinquish his grip. “It’s easier if I do it. Then you won’t have to struggle to wrap a bandage with only one hand.”
Left with a choice between an undignified tussle over possession of her hand or giving in, she subsided and allowed him to spread the salve across her palm. Though his touch was feather-light, she flinched.
He glanced up, concern darkening his eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause you pain. I’ll be as gentle as I can.”
She breathed a sigh of relief that he’d misunderstood her reaction. It hadn’t been due to physical discomfort; instead, it was in response to the way her heart had contracted at his tender care.
“You just surprised me, that’s all,” she excused. “It doesn’t hurt.”
She silently urged him to hurry up and finish so she could put some distance between them. But he took his time dabbing salve on each wound, checking that even the tiniest scratch wasn’t overlooked in the pale wash of moonlight. Finally, he seemed satisfied and released his grasp to reach for her other hand.
Once he’d given it the same careful inspection and treatment, he capped the salve and placed it next to the jar of liniment. He wrapped a strip of cotton around one palm and then the other, tying off the ends to hold them in place.
He stepped back and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his hands. “There you go. All finished.”
“Thanks.” She picked up both containers of medicinals and tried to hand them to him.
He refused to take them. “You keep those for now. You’ll need to reapply both tomorrow morning. I’ll come by and help you rewrap your hands in clean bandages.”
“That’s not necessary,” she hastily declined. “Adela can do it.”
“In that case, I’ll leave this with you, too.” He added the diminished roll of bandaging to the other items in her hands. “If driving the oxen is too much for you, I’ll take over for a day or two.”
She’d already taken advantage of his good nature as much as she intended to. “You don’t have to do that.”
“You need to go easy,” he persisted. “It’s to everyone’s b
enefit that you avoid overtaxing your shoulder—otherwise you risk making your injury worse. Then you’d be laid up for more than just a few days.”
“I can handle it.”
“But you’ll ask for help if you need it,” he pressed.
“If I need it.” But she wouldn’t. Instead, she’d prove she could function without his help.
She would rest her shoulder tonight, and by tomorrow morning it should be improved enough that it wouldn’t hinder her on the trail. She hoped. Or her lofty ambition would turn to ashes.
Chapter Seven
The next day was Sunday. Their morning departure was delayed by an hour—as had become the group’s custom since setting out from Missouri—to allow the preacher to deliver his weekly sermon to any who desired to hear the Lord’s word.
Mattie stood next to Adela, their father’s Bible held open between them, while David Linton’s powerful voice boomed across the gathered people.
Mattie usually enjoyed this time of worship, finding peace and strength in the scriptures, while the preacher focused on sermons that lifted up the weary travelers as they faced the trials and hardships of long days on the trail. But today’s scripture selection was different.
Her gaze rested on the page in front of her, but the words blurred out of focus. She didn’t need to see the passages, however, to hear their message.
The preacher was reading them out loud.
“‘Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good, seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.’ We must follow the path of righteousness in all ways.”
It seemed as if his words were targeted directly at Mattie. She didn’t believe what she was doing was truly evil, but there was no denying her actions didn’t honor the Lord.
She imagined that her shortcomings were visible for all to see. But it was only her guilty conscience making it seem that way. Wasn’t it?
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