CHAPTER 18
Belle was barely aware of it when Silas came back to camp, ate quickly, and crawled into a bedroll on the far side of the fire. She should have gotten up and asked about the sale, but her head ached from her tears, and she was groggy and stupid with exhaustion.
When morning came, there was no time for sorrow or second thoughts.
Silas got twenty-five dollars a head for the cattle. Cash money. He’d ridden back to camp with twenty-five thousand dollars in his saddlebags and slept light with his shotgun close to hand.
Riders came and drove the herd away before breakfast.
Silas took charge of the morning camp. “We’ve got to see to the wedding then hit the trail for home before the mountain passes close up on us. Let’s go into town.”
“I’ll see to the preacher,” Belle said.
Silas doused the barely smoldering fire. “Let’s meet at the Cattleman’s Diner for lunch and have the wedding right afterward. We can start making tracks before the day is done.”
Which mean Silas was going back with her. Or was he going as far as Lindsay’s valley? Maybe he planned to stake a claim there, too.
It didn’t matter. With him or not, getting back home before her valley snowed shut for the winter was still a worry.
The men planned to head for the land office and stake their claims, sixteen-year-old Roy included.
Before they rode off, Belle pulled Silas aside. “I’m planning on buying some things to help Lindsay run a household. We’ll have some cattle to herd and a wagonload of goods at least.”
Silas nodded as if Belle was asking him permission, when in fact she was just warning him of more work. But she liked having him in agreement. He tugged on the brim of his hat. “Good thinking. Lindsay’s earned a share of the herd, so don’t be tightfisted.” He rode off before Belle could punch him.
Belle and the girls went to the mercantile, and Belle went on a shopping spree.
“We need to set you up for housekeeping, Lindsay. It will be my wedding present to you and Roy.”
“How do you do that, Ma?”
Belle realized that Lindsay had hardly ever been to a town. For their own safety, Belle had left the girls home when she’d bought supplies. And Belle had bought only the most basic goods, living off the land for the most part. Salt, sugar, flour, little else. Smiling, Belle said, “I’ll show you.”
She bought a winter’s worth of food for four hungry people. There would be no garden supplying them, so she bought canned vegetables and fruit. Salt pork, salted fish, slabs of bacon and ham, and anything else that caught her fancy. Then she turned to yard goods for curtains and sheets and bed ticking, heavy cloth for winter clothes and lighter fabric for summer. She also found several ready-made dresses for Lindsay, since she wouldn’t be coming home to pack, and several pairs of wool pants and flannel shirts for Roy. Belle also threw in new outfits for Buck and Shorty, worried that a man might not think of such things. Needles and thread, pails and tools. She added dishes and pots and pans, including, of course, a good-sized cast-iron skillet. She threw in an extra just to be on the safe side.
The list kept growing, but Belle didn’t hesitate. Nor did she restrict herself to household goods. She found a livery that sold her two teams of oxen and two big freight wagons to carry the ever-growing load.
Belle found chickens and a milk cow with a calf and a pair of suckling pigs, though they were expensive. She bought a fine Hereford bull and ten head of cows.
She’d spent nearly five thousand of her twenty-five thousand dollars before midday.
She ordered the supplies loaded then headed for the land office to buy several tracts of land. She already controlled them because of her water rights. She also owned the passes into the valley, so she could block anyone else from entering. She considered the land hers, but she wanted a clear title. Pointing to a map, she described the acres she wanted to the slender clerk.
Wire-rimmed glasses perched on his hawkish nose. His skin had a pallor that said he rarely stepped outside. “All of this is fine except for this one parcel. Someone staked a claim on it.” He indicated the high valley where she’d lost track of so many cattle last spring. “I’m sorry, but that’s already taken.”
“But there’s not water up there. I own the springs and the gap into the valley. No one can live there.”
The man shrugged. “I didn’t quibble with the buyer. I expect a man to know what he’s claiming. Maybe once your new neighbor finds out the lay of the land, he’ll sell to you.”
Belle’s heart pounded at the thought of some man invading her home. “Who bought it? Is he here in Helena?”
“Now, ma’am, I can’t tell you any of this.” The land agent lifted his nose at her. “It’s not my business to go blabbing about land sales. Trouble can come of it.”
Belle fought the urge to grab the smug man by his shirtfront.
She’d show him trouble. “Just give me a name. I’ll ask around and see if he’s still in town.”
“I’ll figure out what you owe for the rest of this property, though it’s irregular to sell to a woman.” The haughty tone grated on Belle’s already-shredded temper.
Clamping her mouth shut, Belle produced the note she’d carried for years from her lawyer, giving her authority over the fund she’d created for her daughters. That authority granted her the right to buy land.
The man sniffed but let the sale go through.
As she signed the papers and handed over her money, she thought of that piece she wanted most, a high valley that stretched itself down almost to her ranch house, the one that she used for a summer range. Fear twisted Belle’s stomach. She had used that valley for sixteen years.
When she produced five thousand in cash, the land agent was slightly less rude. The purchase brought her holdings to over twenty thousand acres. A lot of it was rugged and next to useless. Still, it connected her ranch into one solid block of property.
She walked out of the land office shaken from leaving it too late to get hold of the high valley. Her cattle could winter over in it, unless she got home to find a settler had moved in already, but she’d have to cull the herd sharply again next year or she’d hurt her range from overgrazing.
Whoever lived there would be a close neighbor and might dispute some of the water rights Belle owned. The titles were all clearly in her hands. But the law didn’t mean much when you lived as far out as Belle. Strength held land more than a deed. She could only hope that whoever her new neighbor was, he would be friendly. With a clenched jaw, she wondered if she’d be able to keep the buyer out by refusing permission to cross through the gap. But that gap was a fair ride from home, and she couldn’t guard it day and night.
With her grazing land reduced, that meant a repeat of this blasted cattle drive next year. With a catch in her throat, she realized it also meant she’d get to visit Lindsay. If Lindsay and Roy came for a visit in the spring and Belle drove past their valley later in the summer, she’d see her daughter twice this year. Only twice.
Only years of self-discipline kept Belle from crying her heart out.
Her girls quietly followed her out of the office. They’d sat waiting on a bench near the front door, out of earshot. Belle didn’t share her worry with them. Emma would have to know eventually, but why burden Lindsay with these problems? She’d soon enough have her own.
“Now we’ll go see about the preacher.”
Lindsay giggled. Emma rolled her eyes. Sarah bounced Betsy and tickled her chin.
Everything was in order in time for lunch at the Cattleman’s Diner. Lindsay was wearing a new dress, and they’d all cleaned up, though Belle refused to buy a skirt that wasn’t split for riding, so she knew she probably still looked like a cowhand.
As Belle slipped into her chair, she announced, “The wedding is right after we eat. The parson will be waiting for us at the church.”
Roy sat next to Lindsay, looking at her with a gleam of joy. The rest of the table was pretty qui
et.
At the end of the strained meal, Belle led the way back to the preacher.
There were nine people in attendance. Ten, counting the preacher. Rather than sit down, the women lined up beside Lindsay and the men lined up beside Roy.
With the preacher, it was six men to four women. Maybe that’s why Belle felt defeated. She was outnumbered.
“Dearly beloved.” The pastor had a shining bald head and kind eyes. Small golden wires framed a pair of spectacles, and he held the Good Book open in his broad hands.
Lindsay and Roy exchanged smiles and clung to each other’s hands.
The parson droned on a bit, and Belle looked past her daughter and the man who was tricking her into marriage to see Silas next to Roy. Just as Belle was beside Lindsay. The two of them, both against this marriage, were the worst possible choices to stand up for this marriage.
Lindsay never looked away from Roy, her face set in happy, determined lines, and Belle knew this was no accident. Lindsay could have asked Emma to stand beside her. Roy could have chosen Buck. By selecting Belle and Silas, Lindsay was forcing them to bless this union.
It was tempting to turn the little imp over her knee.
“Do you, Roy Adams, take this woman to be your lawful-wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward as long as you both shall live?”
The parson looked at Roy, who didn’t so much as glance at the man of God. “I do.”
Belle had to admit that none of her husbands had ever sounded as fervent as young Roy here.
“And, Lindsay Harden, do you take this man to be your lawful-wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward as long as you both shall live?”
That wasn’t even Lindsay’s name. Belle opened her mouth, but she caught a look from Silas and a tiny shake of his head. Well, what did it matter? Lindsay’s name wasn’t Harden anymore anyway. And these vows before God had the power of a lifetime commitment, if Roy could manage to stay alive.
“My real name is Lindsay Svendsen, I reckon. Ma was married to another man before my pa. Though I think of him as my father and call myself by his name. But I want to do this right.” She smiled at Roy who didn’t look a bit concerned. “I do.” Lindsay said it loud enough to stab Belle right in the ears.
“Then before God and these witnesses …” The parson blessed the union, just as parsons had blessed all three of Belle’s.
But Belle felt God here in this room, between her daughter and this young man. She’d never felt such from the men she’d married. Yet another sin to pile on her conscience that she hadn’t insisted on a man of faith to marry.
Tears burned in her eyes as Belle watched her daughter make a better, more intelligent choice for a husband than Belle ever had.
Belle managed to hug her daughter once the vows were finished, and they all walked out of the church, Belle on Silas’s arm. She realized she was leaning hard. The loaded wagons had been hitched up so they could ride straight out to Lindsay’s new home.
Roy took one look and frowned. “We aren’t accepting charity from you.” Roy squared off in front of Silas.
Silas looked straight into Belle’s eyes, and she could tell he was apologizing for Roy’s assumption.
“Lindsay isn’t a hired hand, Roy.” Silas answered the question knowing Roy wouldn’t understand his deferring to Belle. “She’s been a full working partner in the Tan…uh…that is the Harden Ranch—”
Belle did her best to burn him to the ground with her eyes for claiming the ranch as his own. This was a bad day all around, and she needed to take that out on somebody. She decided right then it might as well be Silas.
Silas continued. “She’s a partner and she’s leaving the partnership. Now that might not make sense to you, but that’s the way we run our place. So this is her part of the partnership paid out in supplies and livestock. It’s not charity. She’s fully earned this. I expect you to let her have every bit of it.” Roy held Silas’s gaze.
Belle had a fight on her hands to keep from shoving between the two of them and taking charge.
In the end, without Belle sticking her nose in at all, Roy gave an uncertain jerk of his chin. “I’ve seen Lindsay work, and it’s true.” He looked at Lindsay. “You really are a partner. That’s one of the things I love most about you—your strength.”
Buck said, “A wedding gift is a traditional thing, son. It’ll help smooth out the first months up there, make things easier for Lindsay. Take ’em for her if not for yourself.”
Nodding, Roy reached out a hand to Silas. “Obliged, sir.”
“Her ma is the one who figured all this out, bought it all, and helped raise up our girl to be the woman you love. Thank her.”
“I’ve missed my ma something fierce over the years. I’m glad to be in your family, ma’am.” Roy turned to Belle and, after a second of hesitation, launched himself into her arms.
Belle caught him close, her eyes wide with shock. She saw Silas suppress a smile.
It was strange holding a young man. Belle had always been determined to have daughters, and if determination could decide such a thing, she’d gotten her way. But maybe a son wouldn’t have been so bad. If she could keep him from growing up to be a man.
She hugged him back mostly to get him to let go of her. Then they set out with the cows and supplies. It eased Belle’s mind to know what could have been a hard beginning for Lindsay’s married life would be comfortable. They’d have a good start, partially because of Belle’s gifts.
Buck had bought a few head of cattle, too, not knowing of Belle’s plans. They all rode out of town together, driving the horses and Lindsay’s beeves ahead of them, with Buck and Shorty driving the freight wagons.
It wasn’t easy to pry Lindsay loose of Roy’s side, but Belle contrived to have a private talk with her daughter. Riding abreast, Belle nervously began her talk. “I want you to know what to expect of a wedding night.”
“I know what goes on with a man and a woman, Ma.”
“How do you know that?”
“Well, Ma, I’ve watched the animals mating over the years, and you and the husbands all shared the same little room we slept in. I think I know what’s coming.”
Belle was horrified to think her children had overheard her and her husbands. Heaven knew she’d done her best to keep the men at arm’s length. Even to the extent of sleeping in a separate bed and keeping a baby with her whenever possible, the soggier the baby the better. Belle had found wet diapers to be a powerful deterrent to a man. “There may be things you…uh…don’t know…exactly.”
With a firm squaring of her shoulders, Lindsay said bravely, “All that happens is I do my best to get away.” Lindsay added sadly, “Except I guess after all is said and done, no woman, nor no female animal, ever gets away, does she, Ma?”
“Lindsay,” Belle said, barely able to speak past her surprise, “the thing is…I didn’t…um, care overly much for any of the husbands. I think if’n you liked your husband, and you say you like Roy—”
“Oh, I do like him, Ma, I really do!”
“Then, well…you might not want to get away. And anyway, it’s a little…different than animals because of…the hooves and such, I reckon. You just…you just…well, a man has his rights.” Belle felt her neck heat up. She rested her hand on Lindsay’s shoulder, and Lindsay looked up at her, her face as pink as Belle’s felt.
“I’ve been able to teach you a lot of things in my life, Lindsay,” Belle said solemnly. “But I’m not one to teach a young girl about how to love a husband. I think you already know more about that than I ever will. I think you’re gonna be real happy.”
“I think so, too, Ma,” Lindsay said fervently.
“And if Roy is ever bad to you, well, just remember you can outshoot any man
I ever knew,” Belle stated firmly. “And if you can’t get to your shotgun, I bought you a cast-iron skillet. So you can—”
“Belle!”
Belle and Lindsay twisted in their saddles to look behind them.
Silas had ridden up and looked outraged.
Belle wondered how much of their conversation he’d heard.
“Belle, you ride on ahead. Lindsay and I need to have a talk.”
Belle exchanged a wild look with Lindsay then looked back at Silas. She might have protested if she hadn’t fallen into the habit of pretending to be an obedient little wife over the last few days…and if he hadn’t looked as if he were considering killing her.
Spurring her horse a ways, she looked back and saw Silas talking. He and Lindsay rode together for the better part of an hour and seemed to be having a nice conversation. Belle knew it couldn’t be about a wedding night, because there just wasn’t that much to know, so she decided it had something to do with the cattle they’d bought and she left them to it.
Later, she noticed Silas talking long and hard to Roy, so she was sure it was about setting up ranching. She almost went over and offered to give them her own advice, believing she was a better rancher than either of them, but she remembered her role as a submissive wife and stayed away.
CHAPTER 19
Glowing Sun took a single step to run, to force Wade’s hand, to make him decide for both of them.
A loud cry broke the silence. A scream as wild and fierce as a soaring eagle. Her eyes lifted to the mountaintop and she saw her…future.
Wild Eagle. He rode his horse without reins or saddle, carrying a spear, painted for war.
Wade tried to push her behind him.
“No, don’t touch me. He’ll kill you.”
Wade raised his hands away from her.
Glowing Sun moved quickly so her body blocked Wade’s from the possibility of a hurling spear.
In her own tongue she called a greeting. “I’m safe. This man brought me home.”
To Wade she said, “I am to marry him. This is why I say no to you.” She looked over her shoulder and saw Wade’s shock.
Mary Connealy Page 47