Antebellum (Gone For Soldiers)
Page 22
“Yes. But each time it’s a little less okay.”
“I don’t have an answer to that.”
“You don’t have to have the answer, Robert. Your father always thought that he had to have the answer to every question and the solution to every problem. It made him old before his time.”
“Jack’s like that. I’m not. I know my limitations.”
“I’ve probably never told you that I’m proud of you, Robert. But I am. Very proud. You didn’t start out as the best, but you became the best because you always try so hard.”
“You’re scaring me, Mother.”
“I suppose.” She sighed. “The worst part of getting old is looking back at all the mistakes that it’s too late to correct.”
“Then don’t make another one with Anna. Let her affair with Senator Rucker alone.”
“Didn’t I just promise to do that?” she asked angrily.
Robert rolled his eyes and didn’t answer.
They waited until the gangway was in place, and then filed across with the other passengers to where Anna and Nancy were waiting. Marina kissed Anna on both cheeks and gave Nancy a fierce hug. “Thank you both for coming to meet me.” She put one arm around each girl.
“I’m going to buy a buckboard, a team and supplies,” Robert announced. “I’d rather camp on the open prairie tonight than risk a night in this town.”
“How did you get here?” Marina asked.
“Horseback,” Anna replied, rubbing her buttocks.
Marina looked at Robert. “Forget the buckboard and buy me a horse.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “It’s over seventy miles.”
“I can still ride,” Marina replied. “Do you have enough money?”
“Yes.” He unbuckled his holster and handed it to Marina. “Stay right here. I won’t be more than an hour. Shoot first and ask questions later.”
“Be careful.” Marina strapped the pistol belt over her hips, then gathered her skirt between her legs and tucked it under the belt behind her back, exposing her bare legs from her shoe tops to mid thigh. “Don’t say a word,” she warned Anna.
Anna shook her head. “I admire your ingenuity.”
“And I admire your legs,” Nancy added. “But they might attract the wrong kind of attention from the wrong kind of somebody.”
“Wrong for that somebody, not wrong for me,” Marina said. “I’m just itching to shoot Mr. Somebody.”
Anna giggled. “That’s my mother.”
“Where are your horses?” Marina asked.
“There.” Nancy pointed to the hitching posts.
“Let’s move closer to them,” Marina suggested.
Anna picked up Marina’s bag. “We’ve been here since dawn and no one’s bothered us or our horses, Mother.”
“You’ve had a big, tall, tough-looking soldier with you,” Marina said.
“And now we have you and your burlesque-girl legs to protect us,” Nancy chuckled.
“Yes,” Marina said. She drew Robert’s pistol and checked the load. “And a Colt revolver.”
~
Robert was back in less than an hour with a saddled horse, and a loaded mule. “Any trouble?”
“Not a bit,” Anna said.
“Do you need your pistol back?” Marina asked.
“Keep it for now,” Robert suggested. “I bought a new one, but it’s not Army issue. We’ll trade before we get to the fort. Do you need help mounting, Mother? This horse is taller than I would have liked.”
“I’m okay.” Marina got her left foot into the stirrup, bounced twice and then swung her right leg over the horse’s rump. “Let’s go.”
Robert swung onto his horse without using the stirrups. “We’re going to start off downriver and once we’re sure that we’re not being followed, we’ll circle back the other way.”
“What if we’re followed?” Nancy asked.
Robert patted the big rifle in its scabbard.
“You can’t just shoot everyone,” Nancy said.
“Yes I can.” Robert kicked his horse.
~
The three women were riding side-by-side across an endless prairie. “No, Mother,” Anna said. “We don’t stay at the fort when we’re here. Lately we’ve been staying at a hotel in a Free-State town called Lawrence. It’s about thirty miles west of Fort Leavenworth.”
“Near the junction of the Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers,” Nancy added.
“That’s why we almost didn’t get to the landing in time to meet you,” Anna explained. “Thomas sent the telegram to me in Lawrence, where it was delivered by an express rider. Then Nancy and I had to ride to Fort Leavenworth to get Robert to decipher it.”
Marina wrinkled her brow. “Thomas wrote it in code?”
“He might as well have done,” Nancy replied. “He used abbreviations that Robert understood, but they made no sense to us.”
“Thomas has become a miser,” Marina said. “He probably saved ten cents by using abbreviations.”
Anna laughed.
“It’s true,” Marina insisted. “His land is on the only ford across the Brazos on the Chisholm trail, so he charges the cattlemen a dollar a head to cross.”
“Lord,” Nancy said. “It’s a wonder that people agree.”
“Thomas doesn’t give them a choice,” Marina said. “He’s got an army of hired gunmen to enforce his laws. There’s a gunfight almost every day. Thomas provides the dead ranchers with a nice, Christian burial, then he confiscates their cattle.”
“What if the ranchers agree but don’t have enough money?” Nancy asked.
“Simple. Thomas confiscates enough cattle to pay the crossing fee.”
“Has no one gone to the law?” Anna asked. “Sued him?”
Marina nodded. “Often. The judges work for Thomas. The cattlemen always lose.”
“Ha,” Anna said. “So now two of my brothers are thieves and killers.”
“Except that one of them is always running from the law while the other one gets fat and makes the law.”
“Fat?” Anna said in surprise. “I can’t even imagine Thomas being fat.”
“It was a metaphor, Anna. If anything, Thomas is leaner and meaner than ever.” Marina stood up in the stirrups and shaded her eyes. “I don’t see Robert.”
“Don’t worry about him,” Nancy said. “He’s smart as a whip and tough as nails.”
Anna giggled. “I think Robert’s made a convert of Nancy. She might even like his whiskers.”
Nancy glared at Anna then turned to see Marina’s reaction.
Marina chuckled. “I’ve known you your whole life, Nancy Vreeland, and I love the bones of you like another daughter.” Before Nancy could answer, Marina stood up again. “Riders coming. A dozen or more.” She looked around. “Damn this land is flat. There’s nowhere to hide.”
“They’re soldiers,” Nancy said. “It’s okay. Robert’s leading them.”
“Yes,” Anna agreed. “That’s him.”
Marina sat back in her saddle and breathed a sigh of relief. “Lucky for us. I was daydreaming. That’s a bad habit when you’re in a dangerous place.”
Robert reined in and turned his horse to ride along beside his mother. “This is Lieutenant Kimbrough.” He gestured toward a dust-covered officer who looked like a teenager. “He and one platoon will take you to Lawrence. I’m urgently needed back at the fort.”
“Trouble?” Marina asked.
“Always,” he replied. “Although I don’t generally care much for anything that Anna’s former boss has to say, he was right in labeling this territory Bleeding Kansas. Although Bloody Kansas might be even more appropriate.”
“Anything we should know?” Marina asked.
“Yes.” Robert turned in his saddle. “Trust these men. They may look like boys to you, but they’re all seasoned veterans. Do what they say. I’ll see you when I can.”
“Robert?” Nancy called.
“Yes?”
“Could I come with you?”
“I can keep up.” Nancy smiled at Marina and blew Anna a kiss, then she kicked her horse.
“Well, well,” Anna said with a smile. “I’ve been trying to make that match since I was twelve. It looks like my prayers may be answered after all this time.”
“You may not be doing Nancy any favors. Robert has always seemed like the softest of my sons, but deep inside he’s the hardest.”
“He’s also the most thoughtful,” Anna replied.
Marina nodded. “Yes. There is that.”
“Are you ladies ready?” Lieutenant Kimbrough asked.
“Yes,” Marina said. “Lead on, sir knight.”
Kimbrough raised his hand. “Troop. Forward, at a walk. Ho.” He dropped his hand, then urged his horse forward.
June 2, 1854
San Francisco, California
The sun was just rising over San Francisco Bay when Colonel Jack Van Buskirk trudged up the long hill toward his home. He was bone-weary from six days in the saddle and he wished for the hundredth time that Clementine hadn’t convinced him to let her build the house way up here. The view was indeed spectacular, but the road was awful, and Jack had chased away the architect before the stable was complete so he had to walk home from the livery stable every night after boarding his horse.
When he reached the house, he sat down on the porch steps to remove his muddy boots. Then, in his stocking feet, he crossed the porch and unlocked the front door with his key.
Except for the tick-tock of the clock, the house was silent. Jack wasn’t surprised. Clementine had never been an early riser. He put his boots by the door and went into the kitchen. After considering making breakfast he decided that he was too tired and instead pumped enough water to wash his hands and face. That was another problem with living in a house this high. It was above the city water tanks. The steam-powered pump had never been installed, leaving them with only the temporary hand pumps and a hot water tank that required filling manually and a wood fire.
Jack dried his face, walked through the living room, down the hall, into the open bedroom door and froze. For a moment, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Clementine was sleeping, sprawled naked across the bed, and an equally naked man was asleep beside her with his hand on her bare belly. Unsure of what to do, Jack backed slowly out of the room.
His mind was reeling and he felt dizzy. He touched the revolver on his hip, then shook his head. He had to think. No. He had to get out of the house before he did something rash. He found his boots and then changed his mind and dropped them with a thud. Why should he sneak out of his own home like a thief? He had done nothing wrong. He had just come home unexpectedly early. It was his home. He had every right to…
“Jack?” Clementine appeared in the hallway holding a sheet that was partially wrapped around her. “What are you doing?”
“Is he gone?”
“Who?”
“Don’t.” Jack raised his hand palm out and looked away from her for a moment. “Don’t lie to me, Clem. I’m barely in control. If you push me, things will get very bad and someone will die. Maybe all of us.”
“Yes. He’s gone. He went out the window.” She walked to the couch, sat down and pulled her feet up under her. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what you’ve done or sorry that I caught you?”
“I’m sorry that you found out this way. I was going to tell you, but the time was never right. You always seem to have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
He sat down on the floor with his back against the wall and pulled his knees up to his chin. “How long has this been going on, Clem?”
“A while.”
“How long?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. Why does it matter?”
“It matters because… because I need to know how much of this marriage was a sham. I need to know how many times you told me that you loved me while you were thinking of another man.”
“It isn’t like that, Jack. It was never like that. I’ve always loved you. I still do. I’ve never loved anyone else.”
He laughed. “What about Kevin? Was that your first lie? Your first adulterous liaison?”
“No… Yes... That is – I just can’t stand being alone, Jack. Especially at night. It’s awful at night.”
“I’m going to check in to the BOQ and get some sleep. When I’m ready, we’ll talk about this.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t tell me that man’s name.” He pointed toward the bedroom.
“Okay.”
“Even if I threaten you, don’t tell me.” He was getting angry again. “Don’t tell me unless you want me to kill him.”
“Listen to me, Jack. I don’t love him. I barely know him. In fact, I may not even know his real name.”
“What?”
“I picked him up on Market Street.”
“You what?”
“That’s what I do when I’m lonely. I work the hotel saloons, just like I did before we were married.”
“Do you charge them?”
“Yes.”
“Why, for God’s sake?”
She shrugged. “I split it with a man who makes sure that the – clients aren’t perverts or murderers.”
“And you bring your clients to our home.”
“I do that because it’s safer.”
“Safer, how?”
“If they give me trouble or try to stay longer than I want them to, I tell them I’m married to the Military Governor and that he’s on his way home.”
He shook his head, ran his fingers through his hair and looked up at her. “So half the men in San Francisco know I’m a cuckold.”
“Not half.”
He glared at her.
“That was a stupid thing to say. I’m sorry.”
“Your saying that you’re sorry doesn’t help.”
“I know that. But I can’t think of what I should do.”
“Me neither.”
She stood up. “Okay then, I’ll make a decision. Stay.”
“What?”
“There’s really no point in your moving to the BOQ. Take a bath and I’ll make you a nice breakfast. While you’re eating, I’ll change the sheets. After you get some sleep and you’re thinking clearer, you can tell me what you want me to do.”
“I’ll tell you right now,” he snarled.
“Okay. Tell me.”
He shook his head. “Forget I said that.”
“No. Tell me what you want me to do. Do you want to divorce me? Should I kill myself? Tell me. I’ll do anything you want. I owe you that.” Her voice was become shriller and more hysterical with each breath. “If you want me dead, I’ll die. I swear it by all that’s holy. I’d be glad to die. I want to die.”
He tried to say something but choked and gasped. “I don’t want you to die.” He sobbed, covered his eyes with his arms and bumped his forehead against his upraised knees.
“Oh no.” Clementine dropped the sheet, ran to him and knelt on the floor in front of him. “Oh no, Jack. Please don’t cry. Please, please, please.” She put her arms around him and pulled him down onto the floor beside her. “We’ll go away. Someplace where we can be together all the time. Don’t cry, Baby. Please don’t cry. You’re breaking my heart. Whatever you want, I’ll do. Swear to God, I will. Anything. Just don’t cry.”
Jack wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.
They stayed like that for so long that Clementine thought that Jack was asleep. But when she tried to move away, he clung to her.
“Don’t go,” he murmured.
“I won’t. Not until you tell me to.”
He moved his head back so he could see her face. “Two days ago, I helped a man escape from justice. A very bad man. A thief and a killer.”
She smoothed his hair. “Why are you telling me?”
“Because what I did was a crime. What you did was nothing in comparison to what I did. I’ve done so many bad things. Too many to remember.”
“Shh.” She kissed his cheek and then his eyes. “We’ll find a way to get past this. I can change. I know I can. I can do anything for you.”
“I’m going to be carrying that image of you in bed with that man for the rest of my life.”
“I know. I know. I wish I could fix it, but I can’t.”
“I’m so tired.”
“Let me draw you a bath.” She moved away from him.
“There’s no hot water. I didn’t fill the tank or start a fire.”
“Then I’ll pump some water and boil it on the stove.”
“I hate this house.”
“Then we’ll move.”
“When?”
“Now, if you want.”
“A bath sounds good.”
Clementine got to her feet. “Let me get dressed and I’ll fill the tub.”
“Don’t get dressed.”
“What?”
“I want you to be naked when you fill the tub.”
“Okay.” She giggled.
“And when you make my breakfast.”
“I draw the line at frying bacon naked.”
“You have aprons, don’t you?”
She smiled. “Yes. What would you say to sharing your tub with me?”
“Is there room?”
“If we work at it, I’ll bet we could both fit.”
“Help me up.” He reached for her hand.
Clementine took his hand in both of hers and pulled.
Jack clambered to his feet and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. “I may be a little spooky for a while. I don’t think what happened has fully hit me yet. I’m probably going to get angry at you and forgive you a thousand more times.”
“Whatever you do will be right. It always is.”
He walked to the window and looked out. “I’ve been considering resigning my commission.”
“But you love the Army.”
“This isn’t the army that I once loved. Here, I’m more a peace officer or politician than soldier.” He pointed out the window at the city. “And I hate this place. It’s populated by the dregs of the world. Social position is measured by financial success. Manners and breeding mean nothing.”