Orphan Train Trials

by Rachel Wesson

  A tall thin man with brown hair and lovely eyes shining with kindness came to join them. He was accompanied by a dog who wagged his tail in greeting when Bella bent down to pat his head. Bella looked up in time to catch the man’s eye and couldn’t look away. It was as if she was drawn to him. His eyes widened as he stared back at her. A couple of seconds passed before she broke eye contact, but when she stole another glance, he was still staring at her. Oddly, his appraisal didn’t make her uncomfortable.

  “This is Brian Curran,” Bridget said. “He and Mitch over here were orphan train children too, years and years ago. And this is Shannon, Mitch’s wife.”

  “It is so nice to have another woman in town, Miss Jones,” Shannon said with a welcoming smile.

  “Please, call me Bella. I have heard so much about everyone I feel like I know you all,” Bella said.

  Mitch shook her hand then Brian’s. She almost snatched hers away as he held it, the shivers ran up her arm. He seemed to feel something too, if the color on his face was anything to go by.

  Flustered, she turned to greet the children. “You both have grown up so fast, I wouldn’t recognize you.”

  “I look like Bridget, that’s what Ma says,” Annie mentioned, casting a glance at Carolyn.

  “You do indeed, Annie,” the woman said, beaming.

  “Ma says you will make me a new dress too,” Annie said to her.

  “I would love to do that,” Bella said.

  “But first, I’m certain she would like a cup of tea and a sit down after that stage journey” an older woman said firmly. It could only be Mrs. Grayson.

  Chapter 33

  Bella

  “I’m Mrs. Grayson,” the older woman said, confirming Bella’s suspicions. “Come along now, everyone, let’s go inside out of the heat.”

  Bella followed Bridget and the rest inside, smiling at how Mrs. Grayson lived up to Bridget’s description. She was glad to sit down on a chair that didn’t move, although, she really would have preferred to sleep for the next forty-eight hours.

  “I will show you the shop and the room you can use for your new venture after you’ve had some refreshments.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Grayson,” Bella said. “I am really grateful to you.”

  “Bella, is it okay if I call you that? We are a lot less formal than your city folk. I’m glad you’re here and I’m looking forward to selling lots more thread, fabrics, and hats. Business will boom. I have your room ready too. You can share with Kathleen when she arrives. I assume that’s agreeable to both of you.”

  Bella nodded.

  “When will Kathleen be joining us, Bridget?” Mrs. Grayson asked.

  “I am not sure, probably in a couple of months. I will explain why later,” Bridget responded.

  “She means when we’re not here to listen,” Liam piped up, making everyone laugh.

  “Now, Liam Rees, don’t be rude,” Mrs. Grayson admonished the child before handing him another cookie. “Why don’t you take Annie out for a run around and let us talk in peace.”

  “Sure.” Liam grabbed the cookies and was gone with Annie hot on his heels.

  “Such sweet children,” Mrs. Grayson said as they left.

  “Mrs. Grayson is like the children’s grandmother and Brian their uncle,” Carolyn Rees explained to Bella. Looking up, she caught Brian’s eye again, this time noting his crimson cheeks. He was shy.

  “Mrs. Rees, would you mind if we went home now? Bridget hasn’t been feeling well,” Carl asked quietly.

  “Of course, I am so sorry. We shall go immediately. Bella, would you like to join us? You could share Annie’s room?” Carolyn Rees suggested.

  “No, thank you,” Bella said, despite wanting to stay with Bridget and people she knew. She had to stand on her own feet sometime. It might as well start now. Mrs. Grayson smiled her approval.

  “Bridget, you rest,” Mrs. Grayson said. “I’ll look after Bella here and, between myself and Shannon, we will introduce her to plenty of new customers.”

  “I’ll be back in town in a couple of days, so I’ll talk to you about my dress then,” Carolyn said before calling the children to tell them they were going home.

  Bella waved off the family then returned to the store.

  “You look dead on your feet, young lady,” Mrs. Grayson said, eyeing her up and down. “Why don’t you go and lie down for a while? Tomorrow will be here soon enough.”

  “I wouldn’t like you to think I was taking advantage,” Bella protested.

  “I insist,” Mrs. Grayson said, her tone telling Bella to obey.

  Bella accepted, grateful to put her head down. She hoped her mind would switch off and let her sleep.

  The room was very pretty with a beautiful quilt on the bed, matching the drapes on the window. The floor was polished to a high shine. There was a jug and basin on the washstand with some hooks for her dresses and a chest of drawers for her other things.

  She undressed and slipped beneath the covers, but sleep eluded her. She couldn’t help but think of the twins and wonder what they were doing. Could she discuss her fears with Mrs. Grayson? Probably not a good idea. She could already tell the woman had a good heart, but she didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot. Anything bad she said about the orphan trains could be interpreted as a criticism of the work Carl and Bridget did. Oh, why did Bridget have to be ill? Bella was sure if Bridget had been out at the farm she would have had second thoughts of leaving the twins there. If Kathleen was with her, she could talk to her, but her friend was somewhere in Iowa. She wondered if she had found her missing brothers yet.

  Chapter 34

  Kathleen

  Kathleen finally had her first breakthrough. Their train had stopped to take on coal and water and she had volunteered to walk to the store to get some provisions for their journey. On her way, she had called into the church. Her mam used to tell her the priest knew everyone in a town. She assumed the same would hold true for a pastor or reverend.

  As luck would have it, the pastor remembered meeting her brothers. He said they had moved onto the next town and he had heard they were living on a farm near a town called Freesburg. The pastor promised to telegram the priest in Freesburg requesting he set up a meeting, if possible, with her brothers.

  She skipped back to the train, her heart bursting with joy, she couldn’t wait to put her arms around them both, especially Shane. They had always been close. Her earliest memory was sitting on the steps of the tenements chatting to Shane, they must have been about five and six years old. She met Doctor Richard at the train. “Miss Collins, you look very happy. Would you care to take a walk with me and tell me why? The children are with Miss Screed including Patrick.”

  She was torn between checking on Patrick and going for the walk. She chose the latter, she had to tell someone about her brothers or she would burst. As they walked, she told him of her meeting with the priest and the information he had given her.

  “What are your plans after you see your brothers?” Dr. Richard asked her.

  She took a deep breath. Could she really admit she was hoping they would return to New York with her then move out to Riverside Springs? Would he think she was naïve? She didn’t even know the terms of their placements. Some boys were indentured until age twenty-one, which would mean her brothers could be stuck in Iowa for the next few years. Even if she could convince them to return to New York, what then? Would they come to Riverside Springs? Would there be jobs for them? All these questions.

  “I shall return to New York, and from there I will move to Riverside Springs in Wyoming. I hope that my brothers accompany me. I would love my family to be back together. That’s my dream.” She shifted from one foot to another.

  “What’s so special about Riverside Springs? I never heard of it.”

  “It’s a small but growing town. A nice community or so my sisters tell me. My younger siblings were adopted by a family living near there. My sister Bridget and her husband use the town as their base when
they’re not working on the trains.”

  “I see,” he said. “What shall you do in this Riverside Springs?”

  He wasn’t laughing at her. He didn’t seem to think her dream was ridiculous. If anything, he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. She blushed at his scrutiny.

  “I want to have my own dressmaking shop,” Bridget told him, lowering her voice to almost a whisper. She didn’t want anyone laughing at her ambitions which probably sounded a bit silly to a doctor. “My friend, Bella Jones, went ahead of me and she is going to start a dressmaking service. When I get there, we hope to have enough customers to have our own business.”

  “I love how ambitious you are, Miss Collins. So many ladies are content just to be a pretty face.”

  She blushed at him calling her pretty, aware he wasn’t being condescending. He looked like he meant every word. For someone she had just met, his opinion of her meant a great deal. Perhaps too much. Kathleen Collins, you need to be careful or Miss Screed will be proved right. He is a doctor and from a totally different class to you. But despite the inner voice in her head, she couldn’t help but be thrilled he thought her pretty.

  “Where will you leave the train, Doctor?” she asked.

  “I was planning on going to Waterloo, but now I think I shall get off in Freesburg. If you have no objection, I would like to see you get to meet your brothers. But I also have an ulterior motive. I want to make sure Patrick’s hands are completely healed and there is a wonderful doctor in Freesburg. As it happens,” he added.

  “That is rather coincidental, isn’t it?” she said, half-teasing him. She felt at ease with him despite only knowing him a short time. The age gap didn’t seem to matter. His eyes glowed as he realized she had caught him out.

  “It is, I suppose,” he said before smiling. His smile made his eyes crinkle up. She could tell he smiled and laughed a lot.

  “How will you get Miss Screed to allow you to keep Patrick with you?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Miss Screed had insisted the children had to be taken in by families. Single men were not allowed to adopt, and certainly not single women.

  “Money talks, Miss Collins, surely you have learnt that by now?” his tone was more sarcastic than he had ever used before.

  She stared at him, horrified at what he had said.

  “You can’t mean to buy him?” She didn’t hide her shock.

  “Of course, I won’t buy him. Not in the traditional sense. But in return for a substantial donation, I believe Miss Screed will sign the paperwork.”

  “What do you plan to do with him?” Kathleen couldn’t believe it would be that easy, but then again, money did make life a lot easier. She wasn’t at all sure she approved.

  “I mentioned I think he has a wonderful mind. I would like to help him get adopted but by the correct family. I think, with the right education, our young friend can achieve great things.”

  “But you’re single?” Blushing, she put a hand up to her mouth. “Forgive me.”

  She couldn’t believe she had told him she had thought about his marital state. How awkward could she be? She closed her eyes imagining Shane beside her. Her brother would have laughed his head off at her clumsiness.

  “I wasn’t clear in my intentions. I have some good friends whose children have grown up. I know they will take great care of Patrick. They are currently out of the country but, on their return, I am sure they will grow as fond of him as I have.”

  “And if they don’t?” Kathleen didn’t want to believe that would happen, but she didn’t want Patrick to get hurt either. He had been through enough rejection already.

  “Then I will keep him.” He sounded so sure of himself. Was this what having money and privilege gave you? Supreme confidence in your ability to do anything you wanted.

  He looked at her carefully as if reading her thoughts. She looked away.

  “Shall we return to the train and see what Patrick thinks?”

  When they told him the doctor’s plans, Patrick was thrilled he’d be staying with them for a while longer. Kathleen knew the boy wanted Richard to adopt him. He had barely left the doctor’s side since they first met. She thought Richard felt the same, but it wasn’t yet acceptable for a single man to adopt.

  “Don’t frown so much. Things have a way of working out,” Richard whispered to her, making her laugh. Being around him, she could believe that. Then she remembered the reality. When you came from the tenements of New York it was hard to believe things would work out.

  Chapter 35

  Bella

  The next morning, Bella woke late. She couldn’t believe the sun was high in the sky. Dressing quickly, she came downstairs to find Mrs. Grayson baking. The smell of cinnamon made her stomach grumble loudly.

  “Good morning.” Mrs. Grayson greeted her with a smile.

  “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to oversleep. What can I do?” Bella pushed her sleeves up.

  “Sit down and have a cup of coffee. What would you like for breakfast? I can make some flapjacks if you’re hungry?”

  “But I am so late,” Bella protested.

  “Bella, you have only just arrived after a very tiring journey. I know from Bridget’s letters you are a hard worker. So, please, relax.”

  Bella couldn’t believe her ears. The woman was so kind, yet she barely knew her. She took a seat as the woman fussed around her.

  “To be honest, I love having someone here to chat with. My husband, well he’s a man and given to few words. So, what do you think of Riverside Springs? I know you’ve only just arrived, but does it look like somewhere you could live?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Grayson.”

  “I’ll show you the work room in a bit. It used to be a store room, but we didn’t really use it. When I heard you were coming, I cleared it out and paid Brian Curran to put in some windows. He’s just finishing it up now.”

  Bella’s head jerked up. “Mr. Curran is here?”

  “Yes, he’s been out there since the crack of dawn. He was anxious to get it finished,” Mrs. Grayson explained.

  “Everyone has been so kind,” Bella said, still finding it hard to believe.

  “We want you to stay here,” Mrs. Grayson said. “Riverside Springs needs new people to make it grow into a bigger town. We know a railway station would help, but until we get more people living here, the railway won’t come out this far. So, we are being selfish really. Now eat up.”

  Bella tucked into the stack of flapjacks. She was so glad Kathleen had talked her into making this trip. Ignoring her misgivings about the twins, everything else was working out so well.

  When she was finished she insisted on doing the washing up. Mrs. Grayson dried the dishes and together they worked well.

  “Now, let’s take young Brian out some lunch and coffee. You can see the space available and how you might want to organize it. Mr. Rees also has a present for you.”

  “A present for me? But why?” Bella asked.

  “It was for Kathleen originally, but he said you are to use it and when she comes he will get her another one,” Mrs. Grayson said.

  Intrigued, Bella followed the woman out to the store room. It was a big bright space thanks in part to the two new windows. Brian nodded his head in greeting, unable to speak as his mouth was full of nails.

  She walked around the room, her fingers trailing along the table as she came to the sewing machine.

  “It’s new,” she marveled.

  “Yes, hasn’t been used,” Mrs. Grayson said. “Have you used one before?”

  “Yes, in the sanctuary. Mrs. Grayson, this is all wonderful,” Bella gushed, before hugging the older woman. She sprang back just as quickly. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

  “I do,” Mrs. Grayson said. “It was excitement and it’s lovely to see. I can’t wait for you to start sewing. My mother used to say I stood behind the door when God was giving out sewing talent. I can get by, but it will be so nice to have a professional h
ere.”

  “I will make you the first dress,” Bella promised. “Tell me what fabric you like, and we can start today.”

  “Not today, Bella,” Mrs. Grayson said. “Brian is going to put up a rail over there, so you can hang a drape. That way, your customers can try on the garments you make. And over here, we thought you could store the fabrics in such a way as to tempt people into making new purchases.”

  “You’ve thought of everything,” Bella said excitedly, wanting to pinch herself to check she wasn’t dreaming.

  “You can change things around if you want to. You are in charge.”

  Bella couldn’t believe it. After all these years, she had finally found someone who seemed to think her worthy of something. To be fair, Lily had been the first person to treat her like a human being, but Mrs. Grayson seemed to believe she could do anything.

  “Thank you,” she said, suddenly shy. What if she didn’t live up to expectations? What if the woman found out about her past?

  “Don’t thank me when you’re working twelve hours a day trying to keep up with demand.” Mrs. Grayson laughed then wiggled her nose. “Oh, my goodness, I think I forgot to take the beans off the cooker. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  The woman moved fast for an older person. Bella was conscious she and Brian were alone now. Not that it wasn’t proper, the door was wide open, and anyone could come in.

  “Thank you, Mr. Curran, for doing this,” she said.

  He took the nails from his mouth. “No need for thanks. I’m glad you decided to come here, I mean, we’re all glad you came.” Brian’s words trailed off as his cheeks turned bright red. She smiled but that seemed to make him even more embarrassed.

  “I best go inside,” she said, turning to leave.

  “Miss Jones, when you have time later, maybe tomorrow evening, would you like to go for a walk? I could show you around the town,” Brian suggested.