The American Conquest: Christian Western Historical (Window to the Heart Saga Trilogy Book 3)

by Jenna Brandt

  “You are so natural with them. I knew you were, but to watch you while you spend time like this makes me realize you are going to do great things with our horses.”

  Margaret looked over at her husband, who was staring at her with admiration in his eyes. She never thought she would find a man who would not only appreciate her dreams but share them. Cort wanted her to pursue her passions, and it touched her deeply.

  “Thank you, Cort. It means more than you will ever know that you believe in me so much.”

  “You never have to worry about me trying to squash your independent spirit. I love that about you, and want you to always feel free to be yourself.”

  “Cort, You have given me everything I could ever want.” She wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist as he enfolded her in his embrace and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

  “We are going to have a wonderful life together, Margaret.”

  Jackie came over a couple days later to join Margaret for afternoon tea. It was the one English tradition that Margaret refused to give up.

  It turned out that they were neighbors since the land that Randall had inherited from their father was just a mile up the road. It was a nice place—a working ranch with a homestead.

  Jackie was bursting with the need to tell Margaret the events that had taken place.

  “Interestingly enough, when Randy went around inspecting our land, he found squatters on the banks of the river that runs along the edge of our property. When he asked them what they were doing there, they bashfully admitted they were prospecting for silver. Expecting him to kick them off our land, they started to pack their sparse belongings. But Randy surprised them, along with most of our other neighbors, by telling them not only could they stay, but they could keep mining on his land, so long as they gave him a quarter of their profits. They were so excited that they immediately went into their tents, pulled out what they’d already found, and on the spot gave him his quarter share. Of course, Randy declined it, telling them to reinvest that into equipment and that he only wanted his percentage from that point on.”

  With a laugh, Margaret said, “Rand may find himself making more from silver prospecting than from farming.”

  “Life here is not like it was back in France, that is certain, but then, I should never have expected it to be.”

  Margaret nodded. “I admit, it is hard to adjust when you have lived in Europe all your life. It is so different here. Life is rugged, and necessities shift from buying a new ball gown or hat to learning how to wash clothes by hand and how to shoot a gun.”

  “Yes, I admit, I am having difficulties with doing well with the whole gun issue. I have found that I am not an expert shot like you, Maggie.”

  Trying to be modest about her natural ability with a gun, she shrugged. “I would not call me that exactly. More like a lucky shot, I would say.”

  It was Jackie’s turn to laugh. “Hardly. I saw you when those Indians attacked us. You took several of them out before Cort even got there.”

  Margaret cringed, imagining what probably would have happened if Cort had not arrived when he did. “Yes, well, fortunately he did show up and we did not have to find out how good I really am.”

  “How are things going around here?”

  “Good. Henry is adjusting well. He has been trying to help Cort around the place. I find it so adorable. He called him Papa the other day. It shocked me at first, but I am glad that he is accepting him as that.”

  “I was actually referring to the interaction between you and your husband. Are you adjusting to being married again?”

  Margaret nodded. “It’s easy with Cort. He treats me as an equal and wants my input regarding the horses and ranch. I never had that before.”

  After a pause, Jackie inquired, “How is Alfred settling into having Cort as the man of the house?”

  “He enjoys having some time off from taking care of us. He says he’s glad that he can help when he is needed, but he welcomes having time to read and paint.”

  “Paint?” Jackie asked in surprise. “I had no idea, Alfred could paint.”

  Margaret laughed. “Me either, but he’s rather good at it.”

  “He deserves to have some happiness after all he has done for our family.”

  “Agreed.” Margaret took a sip of her tea. “How are things between you and Rand?”

  “Wonderful. That is why I came over today. I wanted to tell you some good news. I begged Randy to let me tell you, and he knew how much it meant to me, so he agreed.”

  “What is it?”

  “I am pregnant,” Jackie blurted out with a smile.

  Margaret was surprised. She had not been expecting that kind of news. Frankly, the thought of Jackie being with child was odd. She could not even picture her with her belly protruding in any sort of way, let alone the way it would toward the end of a pregnancy. Even more of a strange thought was Randall as a father. But then, he was wonderful with Henry, so why would he not make a good one?

  “You are not saying anything.”

  “Congratulations,” Margaret said, with a touch of tension in her voice.

  “Do you really mean it?”

  “Of course, why would I not?” she said as she pasted on a strained smile.

  “Well, it’s just… you seemed so shocked.”

  “I was, but I think it is grand. You both will make wonderful parents. Really you will.”

  It was not that she was unhappy for them. It was the fact that, all of a sudden, she was feeling an overwhelming desire to have Cort’s child. She loved her son, but she wanted to give Cort a child of his own blood. Until the moment Jackie announced her pregnancy, she did not even realize the dormant desire existed.

  “I am glad you think so. We are so thrilled about it, Maggie. I never thought I wanted to have children, but I love the thought that I am carrying Randy’s child inside of me.”

  Margaret’s eyes fell to Jackie’s belly. She was suddenly filled with deep envy.

  “It is a wonderful feeling, is it not?”

  “Yes, nothing else compares to it. Not even that other stuff.”

  Margaret laughed, letting the comment break through the feelings racing in her.

  Chapter 9

  Over the past couple of months, Margaret, Cort, and Henry had been going to Pastor Thompson’s church in Boulder, which was currently meeting in a framed schoolhouse while the new church was being built. Margaret continually found that not only did she enjoy Pastor Thompson’s sermons, but she was also gaining more faith each week.

  It was amazing having a faith-filled husband in her life. He encouraged her in the Lord daily and helped her to see that she could have a relationship with God like he had. They prayed when they woke up, before each meal, and at bedtime. Cort also read to the family every night out of their family Bible.

  But even though she was growing closer to the Lord, something ached inside her for change. She knew that a part of her was still damaged from her past and that she had never dealt with it. Rather than work on healing it, she had turned a blind eye to the damage and shoved it deep down inside.

  She could see her own injured soul more clearly with each passing day and knew that something had to be done. She wanted to be whole again for her family, and part of that process was working at being the kind of wife and mother God would want her to be.

  Getting the urge to make scones for her family, Margaret gathered the items from her pantry she would need. With bread and rolls for mealtime being a more practical use of their ingredients, she had refrained from making treats for the family in the past, but today, she wanted to splurge.

  As she reached up and grabbed the flour off the top shelf, she thought about how it had taken a considerable amount of time for her to get used to the idea of having to take on all the chores her female servants used to do, but after each project she finished, she also felt a great deal of pride that she could do it herself—that she was making it as a frontier wife on her own.
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br />   When they arrived in Boulder, Sarah immediately received the attention of several available frontiersmen. Cort advised her on which ones would make a suitable husband, and after some prayerful consideration, Sarah married one of the local farmers. Though she only lives a few miles, away Margaret mostly saw her friend at church on Sundays and occasionally, in town at the general store.

  This week had been especially difficult time since one of the colts died just after birth. Cort had been expecting a lot of this one since both her parents were of exceptional lines, and the loss stung deeply.

  Margaret had been working with Charlie and getting her ready to accept Chester. She wanted it to go smoothly, and she knew that planning meant everything.

  She smiled as she thought of Cort and how, just hours earlier, he had picked some wild flowers and brought them into her. It reminded her of a schoolboy bringing flowers to his first love. It was such a cute thing to do.

  Henry scampered into the kitchen and pulled on his mother’s skirt, asking, “When Papa coming in?”

  Margaret had told Henry that he could no longer go out with Cort during work time—at least for the time being. Cort was breaking a few horses that he had bought from an Indian man the week before. She was afraid that Henry might get in the way and get hurt.

  “He will be back in for lunch soon, Henry.”

  “Yea. I want play with him.”

  “He might be very tired, you know. Do not bother him too much.”

  “Okay, Mama. I miss him.”

  Margaret ruffled her son’s hair as she laughed. “We just saw him a few hours back.”

  “It forever.”

  She shook her head. It was so funny how time passed for a child. Hours could seem like an eternity, and yet, when it came to bedtime, five more minutes could mean the world. “Go and play with your toys, Henry.”

  He nodded and hopped off to go play with his metal soldier toys by the windowsill.

  Absentmindedly, Margaret wiped her face with her apron. The weather had really been getting to her. She was not used to the heat that they had here.

  Trying to stop the dizziness, Margaret placed her hand on the edge of the stove and leaned against it. The dizzy spells had been coming more and more frequently the last week. She had not told anyone about them because she thought they would pass, as she just needed to adjust to the new weather.

  She shook her head as she began to see spots. This was not good. She needed to go lie down just for a moment, until it went away.

  Margaret turned around slowly and started to head for the hallway, but before she made it, she lost control and everything began to spin. Before she knew it, she was falling, and then she felt herself hit the ground hard. As darkness closed in, she could hear Henry in the background, calling to her and shaking her shoulder.

  She wanted to respond and tell him everything would be all right, but nothing would come out. Instead, she welcomed the blackness that claimed her and took the pain away.

  Margaret woke to find herself lying in their bed. She was confused. Had she not been in the kitchen baking?

  “The scones. They are going to burn.”

  “No, sweetheart, they’re fine. That was a day ago.”

  When Margaret looked at her husband, she noticed the deep pockets of black under his eyes. Whatever happened to her must have taken a bad toll on him. “A day ago? Why can I not remember anything since then?”

  “You have been unconscious ever since it happened, and the doctor said it was best if we let you rest. He said that you haven’t been drinking enough water and the heat had gotten to you.”

  “Oh, is that all? I thought it might have been something worse.”

  “Well, there is more.”

  “Pardon?” She braced herself for the bad news.

  “The doctor believes you to be with child, Margaret. I told him you had been fatigued lately along with feeling sick in the mornings and periodic dizzy spells, all of which are common symptoms of the condition.”

  Margaret was bewildered. Why did she not know? It was her body, and yet, she had had no idea that she was with child. She had never experienced any of those things while she carried Henry.

  “Is he sure?”

  “He needs to ask you a few questions to confirm it, but he believes he is correct.” Cort frowned. “Are you not happy?”

  “Quite, but I just do not understand why I did not know.”

  “I asked him the same thing, and he said that the change in weather might have kept you from noticing. He said it was quite common and happens when you are new to the area.”

  “I am glad to hear that, then.” Margaret raised her eyes from where they had been staring in her lap to meet his. “How do you feel about it?”

  When he looked at her for several seconds without showing any emotion, Margaret tensed with apprehension. What if he was not happy about the baby? What if it was too soon or he did not want to have any more children after losing his infant daughter, Polly?

  Then, as if he sensed her fears, he took her hands in his and smiled. “I am happier than I can ever remember. This is the best news any man can be given. I always wanted a big family.”

  “I am glad to hear you say that, Cort.” She looked around their room and glanced toward the door. “Is Jackie here?”

  “Yes, both she and Randall have been waiting outside. They are anxious to see that you are all right.”

  “Have you told them?”

  “No, I wanted to wait until you had awakened so that we could tell them together.”

  “Can you bring them in?”

  “Yes, I will go get them.”

  Cort stepped outside the room, closing the door behind him. A few moments later, he ushered them inside.

  Margaret was sitting up in bed with her hands folded in her lap. She had tried to comb her hair with her fingers to tame the mass of curls, but resorted to scooping them up and clipping them with a barrette that had been on the nightstand.

  “How are you feeling, Mags?”

  “Perfectly all right, Rand.”

  “Do you hurt anywhere or feel feverish?”

  “No, truly, I feel wonderful.”

  Randall smiled, which helped to lighten the bags that were under his eyes. “Good to hear. We have not been able to sleep a wink since we heard. Jackie especially.”

  “Oh, I am sorry to have worried you both—especially in your condition, Jackie.”

  “Yes, but I am doing well, chéri. It is you who we should be worrying about. What exactly happened?”

  “Well, that is why Cort and I wanted you to come in now. We needed to tell you something.”

  Jackie looked from Margaret to Cort and back to her sister-in-law; it appeared she suspected the worse.

  “What is it, Maggie? It is not fatal, is it?”

  Margaret laughed lightly, realizing that their serious looks must have frightened her. “No, not quite, Jackie, but what I have is not going away any time soon. You see, I am also with child.”

  Jackie and Randall both looked surprised. “Oh, but you frightened us so. This is good news, no?”

  Margaret turned to Cort, who was standing at the end of the bed, and reached out her hand to her husband. “Yes, very.”

  “Then why the long faces?” asked Randall in an accusing voice.

  Cort went to his wife’s side, took her hand in his, and knelt beside her. “We are still taking all this in ourselves.”

  “Well, let me be the first to congratulate you. It seems we are both going to be fathers soon.”

  Cort smiled, “Yes, although I already am one.”

  It took Randall a moment to realize that he was referring to Henry. “Oh yes, it has been jolly good of you to take Henry as your own. But now you will have another little one to bring you even more joy.”

  “Yes, it will be good to hold a baby again.”

  Randall raised an eyebrow quizzically. Neither Margaret nor Cort had told either of them about his past. But before Randall
could question him, the door was thrown open and Henry rushed into the room, jumping on top of his mother.

  “Mama, Mama, you’re better.”

  Cort reached for him. “Henry, you should not jump on your mother like that. She has been very sick and needs to be treated gently.”

  She wrapped her arm around her son protectively. “It is all right, Cort. Let him stay. It feels good to hold him.”

  “Henry, we have some good news to tell you.”

  “What is it, Mama?”

  “It seems that you are going to have a new baby brother or sister.”

  “Really? Where is he?”

  She laughed and then added, “Not this moment, darling, but in a few months from now. And it might be a girl just as easily as a boy.”

  “I hope it’s a boy so I can play with him.”

  “You can play with a girl too, you know.”

  He frowned. “I don’t like girls.”

  “Oh, is that so? Well, I am a girl.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re my mama.”

  Randall ruffled his nephew’s hair, then chimed in, “Sisters are not so bad.” He winked at Margaret. “After all, they can be fun every once in a while.”

  “Really, Uncle Randy?” In the beginning, Henry struggled with calling him Randall and had picked up the habit of calling him Randy from Jackie.

  “Yes, your mother is a wonderful gal. She is almost like one of the chaps.”

  Margaret slapped him playfully. “Oh posh. Do not tell him such things. He will take you seriously.”

  “No I won’t. Uncle Randy is never serious.”

  They all laughed at that, knowing how close to the truth it was.

  Henry jumped off his mother and ran from the room singing, “We’re going to get a baby. We’re going to get a baby.”

  Margaret smiled as she listened to him sing of the good news. It seemed that her prayers had been answered.

  “I’m so glad that you are here to share in our happiness.”

  Randall smiled at his sister and then his own wife. “We are glad that you wanted us to share in your celebration. Which brings us to a question we have for the both of you. We planned to ask you at the next family dinner, but now is as good a time as any.”