by Natalie Dean
"Sarah, run and get Dr. Loman. Quickly," Mrs. Murphy yelled at Sarah Smith. Fifteen-year-old Sarah listened to her sister's cries, but she knew the voice was getting weaker. She could hear the hushed voices of Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Massey, their neighbors on either side, who knew something was wrong but didn't know what to do.
Sarah lived with her sister and her husband, Leo Bracken. It was Katie's first pregnancy. Katie and Sarah had been excited at the prospect of a new baby, but now that it seemed the baby was coming, Katie felt afraid.
"Sarah, at least I have you to help me," Katie said as she began to feel her contractions coming on. "You'll stay with me, won't you, when the baby is being born. I need you with me."
Their mother had died in childbirth, and Katie was feeling afraid. Sarah had remembered the screams of her beloved mother, then the quietness. "Let's say a prayer that the Lord will help me." The sisters prayed for a safe delivery.
The tears streamed down Sarah's face as she ran to Dr. Loman. Her mother's death was the reason she and Katie had come to America. It was a fresh start, their father had said on that last day in Ireland. It was two years ago. Sarah missed him immensely.
She banged on the doctor's door. As he opened it, she told him, "Come quick, Doctor. Mrs. Murphy said you've got to come now." She watched the doctor grab his bag, and he gestured at her to lead the way.
Sarah was relieved to hear a baby's cries as she entered the building they shared with so many other families. But as she entered her home full of hope, the women weren't joyous, and Katie was still in pain. Father Larkin was there. It wasn't a good sign. Sarah watched as the priest prayed over her sister.
"Hot water now, Mrs. Murphy," the doctor said.
"There's another baby. Come on, Mrs. Bracken. You've got to push. Muster that strength now, good girl. It's nearly over now."
Sarah looked at the baby that had been left in an old tea chest. The old tea chest had passed from woman to woman that gave birth in their tenement. Which meant it was always in use.
"Sarah, go to Nancy Brown. She's had a baby and should have some milk. That baby needs some to drink," Mrs. Massey directed. Sarah knew they were sending her out of the way. As she knocked on the Brown's door, she heard a wail. It was how her mother departed this world. Another baby's cry was heard. But something inside Sarah's heart knew Katie was dead.
"Stay here, Sarah. Watch the bairns, and I'll go check on Katie," Nancy said. She and Katie were the same age, having turned twenty recently. Nancy had two children already with another on the way. Their husbands worked in the mill together. The men were due back from their shift any time now.
Sarah left the door ajar. She couldn't see what was happening but heard Nancy cry out.
"What's to become of them?" Nancy asked. Everyone helped each other out around here, but to take on twins was too much. Then Sarah heard Leo, and Nancy's husband, Frank, returning. She peeked out to see Leo's face all happy at seeing the women at his door, a sign the baby was born, but then his face fell as they told him what had transpired. He had twins, a girl and a boy, but his wife was dead.
Life changed very quickly for Sarah. Leo went to work and left her minding the twins. But she couldn't manage two babies. One, perhaps, but two was impossible for her.
"Sarah, here's some milk for the babies. It's not much, but it's all we can manage," Nancy said as she handed over the bottle to Sarah. The women were good to Sarah. They shared what meager rations they had with her.
Leo had become distraught. He had taken to going to the pub before and after work. Money was tighter than before. The walls were paper thin, and Sarah had heard Frank Brown telling Nancy that Leo hadn't shown up for work. That evening when he finally came home, Sarah pleaded with him, "Please Leo, I need some money for food."But all he did was break down and cry.
When the babies cried, and it was usually at the same time, he'd scream at Sarah to shut them up. They had killed his beloved Katie as far as he was concerned and he wanted nothing to do with them.
It wasn't right, the women whispered. Sarah was barely out of childhood. It wasn't proper for her to live there with him. Father Larkin came to visit. He didn't like what he saw and questioned the neighbors about the situation with the Bracken babies and Sarah. Soon the authorities were alerted. No one spoke to Sarah. She only overheard the conversations. The twins were to be taken immediately. The very severely dressed women looked at Sarah.
"Mrs. Percival needs a new scullery maid. We'll put her there. She looks healthy enough. Come here, girl," the sour woman ordered. She made Sarah open her mouth, and she turned her around to look at her. "Yes, she'll do. Gather your belongings, child. You're coming with us."
"What about the babies? I need to look after them," Sarah asked, but she was told to keep her mouth shut and not talk back to her elders.
As Sarah gathered her few bits, she took off the necklace that had belonged to Katie. Leo had given it to Sarah on the day of Katie's funeral. It had belonged to their mother, and Katie never took it off. Sarah put it with the baby girl. It was hers now.
Sarah cried herself to sleep every night that first month of her new life. Mrs. Percival's was a horrible place. Her bed was a blanket on the floor in the kitchen. But it was warm, and she had food, but those were the only positive aspects of living here. The cook hit her every time she did something wrong and sometimes without reason. She called Sarah derogatory names for being Irish. The cook was English, and Sarah knew the bad blood that existed between the English and the Irish.
In the last two years, as the maids left, they weren't replaced. Sarah was given increasingly more work to do. She was tired of this life. She had this notion that she would marry and find the twins. They needed to be with family. But Sarah had no opportunity to meet anyone. She was invisible to the outside world, and within the walls of the house, she was subject to the moods of the cook and Mrs. Percival. Despite the latter being a paragon of virtue to the outside world.
Sarah was supposed to have an afternoon off every two weeks. It didn't always happen, but this time she managed to escape the house for a few hours. She wanted to go to the orphanage where the twins had been placed, but Sarah never felt courageous enough to go there until now. The gates of the imposing building were locked. Sarah could hear children and wondered if perhaps her niece and nephew were still there.
A nun came to the gate but dismissed her questions. She had no right to inquire about the children, she was told.
"Please Sister, I only want to know what happened to them. They were born on the 2nd of July and came here in early August. It was three years ago. A girl and boy by the name of Bracken."
Every month Sarah found her way to the orphanage and every month she left knowing nothing. Until one day, a younger nun replaced the grouchy old nun.
"Stay here, and I'll see what I can find out. Bracken, early August, three years ago, boy and girl.” The younger nun wasn't any more welcoming than the older nun, and Sarah seemed to be waiting for what seemed like an eternity for her return. So much so, she wondered if the nun was ever coming back.
"I found them. The twins didn't stay with us very long. The good news is they got a home together. They were lucky the couple wanted more than one child," the nun said in a very matter of fact way.
"Are they still in New York?" Sarah asked, a dream of perhaps seeing them crossing her mind.
"I'm not supposed to tell you," the nun said.
"Please, Sister. My sister died having them. Their dad was too enveloped in his grief, and I was too young to be of much use."
"The couple came from Buffalo, New York. That's all I know. Let them be. They have a life now. You get on with yours," was the last thing the nun said as she walked away.
"Thank you, Lord, for keeping them together. At least they have each other," Sarah prayed. What the nun had said was true. She needed to get on with her life and being a punching bag for a lunatic cook wasn't what she wanted. The trouble was she didn't know what other options
she had. There were no young maids in the house to form friendships with, and Sarah had no outlet at all.
She sat in the park, dreading the thought of going back to the house. Sarah was wondering what the twins looked like. She wasn't sure what size children of that age were. Two young women sat on the bench beside her. They were quite giddy.
"Agnes, he proposed today. I'm going to Wyoming. Imagine it. In two weeks, I'll be married and living in Wyoming!"
The other woman wished her friend well.
"I'm not sure I know where Wyoming is, but it's far away from here. Do you think your fiancé has any nice friends? You won't forget about me when you get there, Lucy. You promise me," Agnes said to her friend.
"But Agnes, you don't need me to set you up. Look at the classified advertisements or the Matrimonial Times. There are loads of men desperate for God-fearing women to help them on their farms. You'd be working for yourself, not some old biddy who thinks she's younger and thinner than she really is. Did I tell you about Mrs. Weston's corset?" Lucy stopped speaking and stared over at Sarah who was looking at them. "Eavesdropping are you?" Lucy barked at Sarah.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I only…" Lucy and Agnes stood up and walked away.
Sarah had to buy a newspaper and see what they were talking about. She couldn’t believe it. Men were actually advertising for women to come out west and marry them. Was this the Lord's work? Was this His way of giving her a chance to escape?
Chapter 2
"Are you sure we should get two?" Carson Edwards asked his wife, Maggie. Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded her head as she looked at the twins who were snuggled together. Her strong maternal desire of having a family was finally coming true.
"They're perfect. Carson, we'll have a boy and girl, at last," Maggie said.
The nun standing with them broke the moment of happiness. "Are you quite sure you want these two? The girl has a mark on her forehead. You don't have to take them."
"What's their background? Do you know?" Carson asked. He and Maggie had prayed for a family of their own, but poor Maggie didn't seem to be able to carry a baby for very long. She wanted to adopt, but Carson wasn't so sure.
"From our notes, it seems the mother died in childbirth," the nun looked with disdain at Maggie's cry of such a dreadful event and then continued, "the father couldn't cope, and it was thought best to bring them here. We have had them a month now."
"Can I hold them?" Maggie asked, and the nun nodded. The baby boy woke and cried as Maggie put her hand on him but as she lifted him up to cuddle him, his crying stopped, and Maggie beamed with pride.
"Take the little girl, Carson. She's missing her brother," Maggie encouraged her husband, but he looked petrified. He looked down at the baby girl who looked at him with her big blue eyes. As he lifted her, he was afraid his beard would frighten her but she didn't take much notice. Her tiny hand became free, and she grabbed his little finger as he went to stroke her face. She had captured his heart already, and Carson knew he wasn't going to be able to leave her behind. He began to cry, and he snuggled her into his chest. He made a vow that he'd never let anything bad happen to her or her brother.
"Carson, you'll smother her," Maggie laughed as she watched her husband. Then they swapped the babies over. The bond had already formed in just this short time. They were meant to be a family.
As the Edwards walked out of the orphanage with their children, they were ready for a new life. In a few days, they'd continue their journey out west and build a new life. No one would ever know that the babies weren't theirs. It was important to Carson. He didn't want any unnecessary judgments on his family. Maggie agreed.
"What names will we give them?" Carson asked as they sat in the little hotel room that was to be their home for the next few days.
"I was thinking William and Jane. But William is too manly for a little boy, so we'll call him Billy. And today will be their birthday. This is the day we'll celebrate, when they came into our family," Maggie decreed. And Carson agreed.
The babies looked strong enough for the journey to come. Maggie and Carson had bought a ranch in Bannack, Montana and had been careful with their money so that they would have enough for this journey. It was going to be arduous. They had to get to Independence, Missouri and join the wagon trail. Carson had read the Campbell's Guidebook and was following its instructions. It was going to take a few months to get to Fort Laramie and from there, head north instead of west to get to Bozeman and from there to Bannack.
Carson had it all planned out. He wanted Maggie to focus on the children. It was a perilous journey, but they finally arrived in Bannack.
"There's a hotel. Why don't you settle in there with the children and I'll go and find our plot?" Carson had instructions to go to the tea shop to talk to Cecilia Dexter about his plot. There was a lot of work to be done.
Maggie had become adept at handling the twins, and she made her way to the hotel without difficulty.
"A new family. How wonderful. Welcome to Bannack, I'm Mrs. Lavery, proprietress of this establishment and you are?" the elderly woman inquired.
"I'm Maggie Edwards, and these little babies are Billy and Jane. My husband has gone to see the woman in the tea shop about our claim," Maggie said as the old lady reached out to take Jane from her arms. Jane was happy to accept the change.
"Cecilia will sort him out. It's much better since she took over the land claims. She did mention a family was coming in although I expected the children to be older. Horace, give Mrs. Edwards the larger room. She'll need the space," Mrs. Lavery directed her son.
"Billy has been coughing. I thought the air would be better here. Is there a doctor?" Maggie asked, and Mrs. Lavery said she'd send for him.
"We have a lot of young women like yourself here. I must arrange for you to meet some of them. Horace, send for Dr. McLennon."
Mrs. Lavery showed Maggie to their room. "You're lucky. There's a cabin on the ranch, but it needs some repair. You won't be here for long." Maggie felt relieved to hear this. She wanted space and her own home. The children needed a home.
Mrs. Lavery was correct in her estimation. Maggie was soon in her own home with her husband and children. She had made friends with Cecilia and the doctor's wife, Lottie. Carson was happy with his lot. Three years passed, and while the work was hard, they were content. The children were thriving, and they had made good friends. Carson had got Maggie a dog for her birthday. Lola was a mixed breed, and despite the plan to keep the dog outside as a guard, Lola squirmed her way into the house. She slept on the bedroom floor by Maggie's side. Maggie wanted the children surrounded by animals. It was good development for a child to have an animal to confide in, she told Carson.
"Take Lola. She needs to run," Maggie said that fateful morning. Carson had to check on his herd as there were rumors of rustlers who were knocking down fences and stealing the livestock.
"See you later," he said as he kissed his wife and tousled the children's heads. Lola was a reluctant companion. She began to whimper but Carson was her master, and she followed him.
"Look Lola, another fence down," Carson said as he dismounted to see if he could mend the damage. Lola began to howl. "Shush, girl," he said, but Lola wasn't happy and raced towards the homestead.
"Stupid dog," Carson said as his hand caught on the wire. A gunshot rang out. It wasn't uncommon to hear gunshot around here. It helped to ward off any cattle rustlers or snakes. But the sound had come from the direction of his home.
Carson jumped up on his horse and galloped as fast as he could. His heart stopped as he saw Maggie lying face down on the ground. Little Billy was at her side, "Mama, wake up" and Lola, the dog, whimpered as she ran to Maggie's side. Carson could see the blood pool around Maggie. It was flowing around Billy's feet, and Carson grabbed him and took him into the cabin where little Jane was asleep on the bed.
"Billy, stay with Jane. Papa has to tend to Mama," he said as he closed the door behind him. He ran to Maggie's side, but
he knew she was dead. He gathered her into his arms and cried out. Who would have done this to her? Who had killed his dear, sweet Maggie whose only want in life was to be a mother? He could see hoof prints. There had been at least two riders.
Sheriff Lance Dexter had gotten reports of two riders robbing homesteads. He and his deputies decided to ride out to warn the families to be on the look-out. He wanted to call in on his good friend Carson, but when he arrived, he saw Carson kneeling on the ground, rocking back and forth with Maggie in his arms. The children were crying in the cabin, but Carson didn't seem to hear them.
"Carson, you've got to let Maggie go. Let Hank take you to town. Hank, take him to the Lavery Hotel and tell them what's happened. Marvin, let's get Maggie wrapped up and get her to the undertaker. I'll take the children home with me. This blood is dried. She must have died hours ago," Sheriff Lance said as he walked to the cabin and opened the door to find the children side by side, hugging each other.
"You poor little kids," Lance said as he whisked them into his arms. The children sobbed and cried out for their parents. Lance looked around to see if there was any food he could give them. He sat them down, and they ate the bread he had found. He packed a bag of clothes although he knew they had plenty of children's clothes at his home. For now, the children needed stability and Carson was too distraught to deal with them on his own.
Cecilia was used to her husband coming home at all hours. As the Sheriff, he could be called upon at any time, and she made sure there was always hot water and a warm meal for him. Word had spread about the tragedy that had befallen their friends.
"Lance, they're frozen. Get me some blankets," she said as she took Jane. Her friend, Lottie, arrived and took little Billy from Lance.
"The poor children. Hamish has given Carson some sedative. He told Hamish he found Billy by his mother's dead body," Lottie said as she and Cecilia hugged the children and wrapped them up to keep them warm.
"What are we going to do, Lance? Will you be able to get whoever did this?" Cecilia asked. She wanted justice for the children who had lost their mother.