Luella’s Longing: Romance on the Oregon Trail Book Two

by Ball, Kathleen

  Luella’s Longing

  Romance on the Oregon Trail Book Two

  Kathleen Ball

  Copyright © 2019 by Kathleen Ball

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  This book is dedicated to all the Grandparents that are helping to raise their grandchildren. It can be exhausting but they add so much love and joy.

  And as always I dedicate this nook to Bruce, Steven, Colt, Clara and Mavis because I love them.

  Contents

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  The End

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  We’ve Only Just Begun

  About the Author

  Other Books by Kathleen

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  Chapter One

  Declan Leary stretched his back as he held the lines. Driving oxen all day was boring and all the bumping and jostling was uncomfortable. He’d drawn the short straw that morning. Heath and Zander had laughed. They got to be drovers and make sure Mr. Walsh’s cattle and horses made it to Oregon.

  When they signed on they expected to work for almost nothing even though they had a contract. Declan and his brother Heath had been in America for a year and hadn’t been treated honestly yet. Until now. Until Mr. Walsh had hired them.

  He swore the bumps were getting bigger. He thought people were supposed to make sure there weren’t too many rocks on the trail. Breaking a wheel or axel could set them back a good while. A loud scream erupted from somewhere up ahead, and the wagon train was slowing to a stop. He strained, trying to hear what was happening. It sounded like a woman wailing.

  He set the brake and tied off the lines before he jumped down. Three wagons in front of his passed in a blur as he ran. A crowd was forming at the side of the Barnes Wagon.

  “See anything?” his boss Harrison Walsh asked.

  “No, but I know I heard a female scream. I bet it’s Luella. She’s always getting into trouble.”

  Harrison’s wife, Cora joined them. She was holding their baby, Essie. “Has Mrs. Chapman taken charge yet?”

  “I done tol’ her and tol’ her not to jump off the wagon when it was movin’,” Auggie Barnes roared at his wife Ebba. “Now she’s worthless. It might be a blessing if the good Lord just took her.”

  Declan made his way to the front and spotted Luella on the ground, one of her legs red and raw like nothing he’d ever seen. Even as she howled and sniffled, she was tugging at her skirt, trying to cover her exposed leg. Declan shifted his gaze, since it wasn’t considered proper for a lady to show her legs, and it seemed a lot worse for him to stare.

  Mrs. Chapman, the only one on the train who knew about medicine and healing, was trying to get Luella to drink something. But Luella kept shaking her head and struggling with her skirts.

  Declan went down on his knees. “What can I do to help?”

  “Get her to drink this laudanum,” instructed Mrs. Chapman in a brusque tone. “I will try to examine her leg and it’s going to hurt something awful. The rest of you, I need splints and bandages.”

  “Hi Luella, I guess you took a fall.” Declan smiled gently at her. He’d had a sister until she starved to death at a young age, and now he found himself with a soft spot in his heart for helping others. “I know a lot about pain, and the one thing I’ve learned is if there is a way to dull the pain, do it. Mrs. Chapman fixed up my friend Zander. You remember that, don’t you? Drink this and we’ll get your leg straight and then I’ll lift you up into your wagon.”

  “Oh no, someone else will have to take her or we leave her,” Auggie said. “She is disobedient and lazy. She’d be more trouble than she’s worth.”

  “Auggie no,” Ebba cried. “She’s our daughter.”

  “Is she?”

  Ebba gasped and stalked off without another word.

  Cora handed Essie to Harrison and kneeled down next to Declan. “Take my hand, Luella. Your parents are just upset at the moment. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”

  “Thank you,” Luella managed to croak out. She glanced at Declan and nodded her head.

  He held her shoulders up and helped her to drink the water laced with Laudanum. “It works fast.” He lowered her back down and smiled at her. No one had even gotten a blanket to cover her. What was wrong with people?

  “Mr. Barnes, will you get a blanket for her?”

  The rage on Auggie Barnes’ face surprised Declan. “She gets nothing from me. Her only worth was to make a good marriage to a man with money. Now look at her. She’ll never walk again. She’ll be a burden for the rest of her life.”

  Harrison joined them a few minutes later with two blankets. He handed one to Declan and rolled the other one up and put it under her head.

  “Thank you, Harrison,” Mrs. Chapman said. When people brought the necessary supplies, she glanced up at Declan. “Hold her still, you too Cora.” She pulled until the leg looked straight again. With one heart-wrenching scream, Luella was out.

  “We need to move her to her wagon,” Mrs. Chapman said after she splinted the leg and wrapped the splints with bandages.

  Auggie stood at the back of his wagon with his rifle cradled in his hands. “I said no.”

  Declan wanted to use his fists on him but settled for giving him a look of disgust instead.

  Mrs. Chapman stood. “Surely one of you has room in your wagons. I’ll tend to her.” She looked at the crowd.

  Every one of them avoided her gaze, some staring into the distance, others studying the ground as they kicked dirt and shuffled their feet. No one spoke up with an offer of help.

  Mrs. Chapman shook her head. “I don’t know what to do, Cora.” Mrs. Chapman was usually so good in a crisis, but now she looked as though she wanted to cry.

  The captain elbowed his way to them. Captain London stared at Auggie. “You sure about this? It’s an awful thing to do to your daughter, and I don’t want to hear your theory that she isn’t yours. She’s the spitting image of you. If you don’t take her into your wagon now, you won’t be able to take her back once she can do chores again.”

  “She’ll never mount to anything now,” Auggie sneered. He tightened his hold on his shot gun.

  “Cora, take Essie. I’ll make room in the extra wagon.” Harrison handed the baby to Cora. “It’ll take me a minute to get the wagon ready, and then I’ll be back to help carry her.”

  Captain London nodded.

  Declan suddenly became aware that he was smoothing back Luella’s fair hair off her face. He stopped quickly and glanced around. No one seemed to think anything about it except for his brother Heath and their friend Zander. From the expressions on their faces he’d be in for some joshing later. He gave them his best glare and they both smiled at him.

  “Declan, can you get her head and shoulders, Captain how about you take the middle and I’ll hold her legs straight?” Harrison suggested.

  “Fine, le
t’s get her there before she wakes up,” the captain said as he got in place.

  Harrison counted to three and they all lifted at the same time, slowly and carefully carrying her to the wagon Declan had been driving.

  “I’ll ride in the back for a bit,” Mrs. Chapman said.

  Cora smiled. “Let me know when it’s my turn.”

  No one else offered. Declan had never known people like the ones he traveled with. They rarely volunteered to help. The women maybe would, most of them anyway, but their husbands wouldn’t let them. In Ireland, it was all about helping each other to survive. People always tried to make do. If one family was evicted, everyone who could took at least one family member in. Of course, that was before the Great Hunger; then it became against the law to take in others. People hardly had enough to feed themselves.

  His thoughts went to Alana the woman he’d planned to marry. Her family could not afford the rent due, and all their belongings, of which there were few, were taken out of the house and the house was set on fire. He hadn’t even been there. He worked every spare moment to feed his own family. There had been no tearful goodbye. Alana and her family were just gone. There hadn’t been room for them in the workhouse. He’d heard later they had frozen to death. She was no more than skin and bones he was told. Waves of sadness and loneliness washed over him. No one had ever measured up to his sweet Alana.

  He had his brother Heath climb into the wagon first so he could take the weight of her head and shoulders. They gently lay her on a pile of quilts. The other women must have loaned what they had. His heart softened toward them.

  “I’m going to get her things.”

  “I’m going with you,” Harrison said.

  “I can do it,” Declan said.

  “I don’t want you shot, and I don’t want you hanged for strangling the man dead.”

  Declan nodded and gave in. Harrison was usually right.

  Ebba Barnes stood alone behind the wagon with Luella’s things in a gunny sack. “It ain’t much. Thank you both.” Tears poured down her face. “Please take good care of her and tell her, tell her… I’m not allowed to talk to her again.”

  “Things might seem bleak now, Ebba. Give it some time. Luella will be taken care of.”

  “Thank you both.” She held out the bag and Declan took it from her.

  When they were far enough away from the Barnes wagon Declan sighed. “How does a man do that to his daughter?”

  “I have no idea,” Harrison said. “Come by our fire tonight. Cora will want to be sure you are feeding Luella.”

  Declan stopped and stared. “Won’t Cora be taking care of her?”

  “Sure, for personal needs and bandaging her up, but she’ll be in your wagon. Just make sure one of you is with her in case she needs something.”

  Relieved, Declan smiled. “We can do that. I guess we’ll need to push on. I haven’t forgotten there are signs of Indians being about.”

  “Cora found that arrowhead and we’ve seen many tracks. It’s best we stay vigilant.”

  “We will.”

  * * *

  Luella bit down on her lip to keep from screaming. Mrs. Chapman sat close, but she had nodded off. The laudanum was wearing off and the pain in her leg was unbearable. Would it heal or would she have to use a crutch? Had she really been disowned? The wagon jolted in another hole in the trail. She couldn’t do it anymore. She had to stop. They lurched to the left and then to the right before the wagon steadied again. Ouch, that was certainly a big rock this time.

  The swaying of the wagon made her sick to her stomach. The creaking noises of the wheels were so loud. The metallic taste of the blood from her lip disgusted her. Every little thing made her miserable. The biggest hurt was her heart. It was broken. Maybe if she healed and showed her father how helpful she was, he’d want her back. By then he’d have noticed just how much of the work she did. She shouldered more than the rest and she never complained. It would all be up to her mother now, and that would just tire her out. Her mother was certainly with child again. Why wouldn’t her father leave her be? The doctor had warned that another child could kill her. So many had already been born dead. Surely her father should have some compassion.

  “You bit right through your lip.” Mrs. Chapman pressed a wet cloth.

  Luella winced and pulled away with a whimper.

  “Hold still mind,” admonished Mrs. Chapman, and she reapplied the cloth, holding it in place for a time and then lowering it to look at it. “There, it’s stopped bleeding. Now how do you feel?”

  “As though I was run over by a wagon wheel,” quipped Luella. She lifted her head from the pillow and moaned as a wave of nausea struck. “And sick to my stomach.”

  “You seem to know what is going on,” Mrs. Chapman said, staring into Luella’s eyes. “I’ll fill a cup with water and add a few drops of laudanum. I do have to say you have been taken in by the three most handsome men in the whole party.”

  “What do you mean? Am I doing something improper?”

  “No, of course not,” Mrs. Chapman hastened to assure her. “I didn’t mean to upset you. The wagon is owned by the Walshes. In fact, Cora will take my place soon. You are in perfectly fine and proper hands.” She stirred the laudanum and water, and Luella raised her head a bit. By the time Luella finished the water she wasn’t sure if she drank most or spilled it on herself. It was hard to drink while jostling around.

  “We’ll make ginger tea when we stop. That will help with a bad stomach. We’ll be passing by Courthouse Rock soon. I’m going to pull some of this canvas up so we can see it.”

  It wasn’t too long after that the biggest formation she’d ever seen appeared. “Why do they call it Courthouse Rock?”

  “Its shape is reminiscent of the courthouse in Independence. We’ll also be passing by the smaller rock which is named Jailhouse Rock. It’ll be something to see, won’t it? In the middle of all this emptiness, this majestic part of the earth is here. Almost as if they were sculpted here from nothing. Such sights remind me that God made the earth.”

  “It is astonishing,” Louella mumbled. The medicine was working, but she wanted to see the Jailhouse Rock. It seemed to take forever to pass by until she saw it. She smiled. Indeed, God was the sculptor.

  The next time she woke the wagon was still. The canvas was still rolled up on the sides and she had a view of a different rock. Only, it was so much bigger than a rock. She sniffed. Somewhere close by, food was cooking. They would be here for the night.

  “I’m glad you were able to rest, Luella,” Cora said as she climbed into the wagon. She held her arms out until Harrison put Essie in her arms. Essie fussed until she gazed at Luella. Abruptly her cries ceased, and she stared, apparently fascinated.

  “She certainly likes you,” Cora said. “Ginger tea is being made now. I waited until you were up so it would be fresh. Harrison will bring it. Then we’ll see if you can keep any food down. Was the ride horrendous? I almost froze on this trip and had to spend a week in the back of a wagon. Not the best of memories. It’s too bumpy to sew. Thankfully I has a Bible to read. I could loan you mine while you’re laid up, or—”

  “I have mine she can use,” Declan said. He drew a sharp breath and quickly added, “I wasn’t listening in! Harrison wanted to know if I should bring the tea over. He’s busy trying to make the dumplings like you showed him but they aren’t turning out like yours. But don’t worry we’ll be fine. Luella is the one we need to worry about.”

  Luella offered a weak smile. He made her feel warm inside with his kind manner. “I would like to borrow your Bible. What is that one called?” She pointed to one of the rock formations in the distance.

  “Chimney Rock. I could have sworn over and over while I drove that we’d be near it at any time. It appears closer than it is. Captain London said we’ll stop there tomorrow for two days. We’re all looking forward to it.” He was suddenly quiet as though he thought he talked too much. “I’ll get the tea.”

  Lu
ella waited for Cora to tease her about Declan but she didn’t.

  “Had you met Declan, Heath and Zander before?”

  “Briefly, but my pa didn’t allow any men near me. He was right of course. I want to get married someday and I don’t want to be with anyone but my husband.” She shook her head. “I see other girls sneaking away into the woods at night. I hope they are just kissing the boys.”

  “It sounds like you were brought up correctly.” Cora turned and took the cup from Declan.

  “There is more keeping warm by the fire if you need it, miss,” he said, shuffling his feet. “I have guard duty tonight. I just wanted you to know that one of us will sleep under the wagon and I don’t want you to hear us and be scared.”

  “Thank you for everything,” she said and smiled again as faint warmth seeped into her face. He was rather handsome. She’d never known anyone with red hair before, and his eyes were the same light color of the sky. His accent was fascinating.

  “I’m glad to help.” He turned and left and she put her hands on her cheeks.

  “I think I have a fever,” she said.

  “Here drink your tea. Just sip it and put Declan out of your mind and then your fever will go away.” Cora smiled. “Declan made you blush, that’s why your face heated like that.”

  “Oh, did I turn red? Did he see me?” She widened her eyes as her cheeks grew even warmer.

  “No, it’s getting dark. After you drink your tea, we’ll take care of any personal needs and then get you ready for bed.”

  “Has my family asked after me?” She held her breath.