Trail to Clear Creek (Thanksgiving Books & Blessings Collection One Book 3)

by Kit Morgan

  They reached the other side without undue trouble and got in line with the others a good hundred yards away, the better to make room for the wagons yet to cross. Duncan wasn’t far behind. Harrison, on Duncan’s horse, led Pip and Jefferson’s horse, his face bright and happy, clearly enjoying the adventure. Finally came Jack, Sam and …

  “Oh dear, where is Colin?” Honoria wondered.

  Jefferson turned and looked out the back of the wagon. “Probably in the wagon bed. Not much room for three people on the front seat?”

  “Of course, quite right.” She relaxed and watched as other wagons crossed. So far, so good. Mr. Kinzey rode by on his horse, tipped his hat and kept going. He’d make sure every wagon crossed before allowing his men to catch up with the lead wagons. If there was trouble, one of them would come get him and anyone else who could help.

  Jefferson signaled his team to get moving and the wagon lurched forward once more. Duncan followed with Harrison alongside, talking with him. In the brief time they were stopped, he’d tied the other two horses to the back of Duncan’s wagon. This was his chance to ride up and down the line, something he loved.

  After a few more hours the sun disappeared behind the mountains and they stopped to set up camp. The boys took care of their teams, fed the animals and their evening commenced. Honoria sighed in satisfaction. No one suffered on the river crossing – there were no broken wheels, busted axles or loss of livestock.

  So when Colin came storming into the camp and made a beeline for Sam, Honoria couldn’t figure out what was wrong for a moment. But she was soon enlightened. “You!” Colin pointed at Sam, looking ready to punch him square in the jaw.

  Sam saw what was what and pulled back his arm, but Duncan jumped between them, grabbed Sam’s wrist and held him fast. He quickly did the same with Colin’s arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Trying to hit yer brother!” Sam snapped.

  “Not you, him!” Duncan retorted. He glared at Colin. “Well?”

  “This blighter shoved me off the wagon into the river as we crossed!”

  Duncan aimed his glare at Sam. “Is this true?”

  “’Course not – why would I do that?”

  Colin seethed. “Why you bloody good-for-nothing … blackguard! It’s a good thing I know how to swim.”

  “What’s this?” Honoria said as she approached. “Colin, what’s going on?”

  “They pushed me into the river, Mother.”

  Honoria gasped. “What?”

  “We did not!” Sam spat. “He’s lyin’.”

  Honoria’s spine stiffened. She knew who the real liar was.

  “What’s all the hubbub?” Jefferson barked as he came over. He looked at Colin’s angry face and immediately read the situation. “Jack, Sam … what did you do?”

  “He fell off the wagon like an idiot,” Sam said before Colin could speak up. “And he’s saying we pushed him.”

  Duncan released Sam. “Colin isn’t a liar.”

  “And neither are my boys.” Jefferson glanced at his sons, then at Colin. “You three check on the stock, gather wood, and when you’re done I’ll decide whether or not you get supper.”

  “Jefferson …” Honoria took his arm.

  “Don’t,” he said firmly, pulled away from her grasp and marched off.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Honoria stared after Jefferson as he went behind the wagon Jack, Sam and Colin (sort of) had brought across the river. He was checking to make sure everything was all right. Things shifted during a crossing and sometimes broke. Like her heart. She wrung her hands in front of her. The dissension between Jefferson’s boys and hers was tearing her apart. How would they ever make this work? What had she been thinking marrying this man? She wasn’t one to give up, but it was beginning to look hopeless.

  Should she say something to Jefferson, or leave things be for now? She didn’t want the rift to grow, she wanted to fix it. But how? Now it was Jack and Sam’s word against Colin’s. Someone was lying, but … oh blast! She didn’t want to think it was her son, but what if it was? Then again what if Sam was the culprit, and Jefferson got angrier still? Bad enough any of them lied at all, but if they lied about this, what else would they lie about? How long could this go on?

  Honoria put a hand to her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. She often got one when she worried.

  “They have to learn,” Jefferson said behind her. He must have gone all the way around while she was stewing.

  She turned. “I know.” She looked at the dry ground. “What should we do?”

  “You’re not going to do anything, I’ll handle this.”

  Her chest tightened. The instinct to protect Colin was overwhelming, but she had to let Jefferson handle this his own way. If she didn’t back him up, what did that make her? They’d argue and no good would come of it. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’ll think of something. If Sam did push him out of the wagon, he’s going to suffer some consequences.”

  “Jefferson …”

  He held up a hand. “What if Colin couldn’t swim?”

  She blanched.

  “Exactly. Do you know Jack and Sam can’t?”

  “No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I didn’t.”

  “Well, they can’t. Which makes this all the more infuriating. What a senseless thing to do … if they did.” He rubbed his temples with his fingertips. “Dagnabit …”

  She stared at him, unable to think of what to say. Did he think Sam was guilty of shoving Colin into the river? What would he do to his sons? She’d noticed that when they acted foolishly, Jefferson looked as though it was all he could do not to “bust a gut,” as the Americans put it. Meanwhile, she hated feeling useless or helpless, and right now she felt both. She fought the urge to wring her hands more and instead looked at Jefferson pleadingly. “I don’t know what to do sometimes,” she admitted. “What if they never get along?”

  “They’ll learn if it kills them,” he said sternly. “If they don’t, someone is going to get hurt. The only way you can survive a crossing like this is by trusting one another. You trusted me to get you safely across the river, didn’t you?”

  She nodded. Of course she did. She trusted him with her life – not just because he was her husband and vowed to protect her, but because he’d shown himself trustworthy. It was one of the reasons she chose him as her husband. Ever since he came to her rescue from Kinzey’s men, she knew she’d be safe with him. But this was another matter entirely and she wasn’t sure how to deal with it. From the look on Jefferson face, he wasn’t sure either.

  He took her in his arms and held her close. “We’ll make this work, Honoria, you’ll see.”

  She hugged him back. “I know.” Though she didn’t – just because she and Jefferson got along, didn’t mean their sons ever would. But she hoped.

  They dropped the matter, and Honoria started preparing a late dinner. She wanted to think about something else but couldn’t manage it. Her mind kept returning to the anger on Colin’s face. She’d never seen him so mad, not even when Harrison goaded him. But what could she do about it? She couldn’t force her sons to like Jefferson’s. Anymore than Jefferson could force Jack and Sam to like them. At the moment, bringing the five together seemed impossible.

  Which meant there was only one thing to do. Lord, I lift up Duncan, Colin, Harrison, Jack and Sam to You. I don’t know what to do, Father, what words to say that would bind them together, make them care for one another … dare I say, even love each other? I’d settle for friendship between them, Father. Could You at least see to that much? I don’t want their dissension to become Jefferson’s and mine. You know how I struggle. She shut her eyes tight. There is a tiny crack in the door of my heart to this man. Please don’t let anything close it …

  “You look like you’re praying,” Jefferson commented.

  Honoria lifted her head, not having realized she’d bowed it. “I was.”

  He glanced
between her and the other wagons settling in for the night. “Anything I can pray for?”

  She smiled at him. “I think you already know.”

  He slumped on the wagon seat. “Yeah, I do. But first I have some thinking to do.”

  Honoria clasped her hands in front of her. “Are you trying to decide on a punishment?”

  “Yes.”

  Her back stiffened. “Even if … one is innocent?”

  “This is for all of them, Honoria, not just the three.”

  She swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”

  Jefferson shook his head, clearly frustrated. “It’s not going to stop with Colin and my boys. I need to impress on all five of them the importance of working together for survival. If they don’t learn now, there’ll be trouble later and lots of it.”

  She took a deep breath. He was right, of course, but still couldn’t help feeling protective over her sons. This was much harder than she thought it would be. But then, she hadn’t anticipated Jefferson’s sons acting like this, nor her own for that matter. “What did you have in mind?”

  He smiled. “I’m still sorting out the details yet, but don’t worry – I’ll let you know what they are before I speak with them.”

  She nodded. What else could she do? True, she should have a say in the matter, but Jefferson was her husband and she had to stand by him. Though what if he decided to punish her sons and not his?

  The dread that accompanied that thought made Honoria’s head pound. It was all she could do to finish making dinner and get ready for the night.

  Colin helped Harrison unhitch the teams and get them settled. “What are you going to do?” Harrison asked. “We both know Sam lied.”

  “Yes, but how can we convince Jefferson? They’re his sons. In his eyes they’re probably angels.”

  “Those two?” Harrison said with a raised eyebrow. “Hardly. Anyone can see they’re always thinking about trouble – and that he knows it.”

  “I suppose,” Colin replied. “But that hasn’t made it any easier for us.”

  “So what are we to do about it?” Harrison asked.

  “I don’t know,” Colin said. “The problem is that if we retaliate, we’re no better than they are.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, if we say, collect ants, put them in their bedrolls…”

  Harrison laughed. “No, I don’t think that would do much good. We need to take a more defensive stance, watch to make sure one of them doesn’t stick a knife in our backs.”

  “They pushed me out of the wagon,” Colin said, “but I don’t see them murdering one of us in our sleep. Still, I’m tired of putting up with their antics. It’s appalling, really. Maybe that’s why Duncan loves guard duty so much – he doesn’t have to deal with them.”

  “That makes him the smart one, doesn’t it?” Harrison said.

  They fed the livestock, gathered wood and brought it to their mother. If she’d heard what they were talking about, she’d be in a state. Neither of them wanted that, so they kept the subject to themselves until they were alone again. As soon as their mother sent them to fetch water, Harrison asked, “What’s going to happen when we cross the next river?”

  “How should I know?” Colin said. “I know I’m not riding with them again.”

  “Maybe not, but I might. If I get pushed in, it will make their guilt obvious. We both can’t accidentally fall in, now can we?”

  Colin arched an eyebrow. “By Jove, you’re right. What are the odds? Their guilt would be obvious.”

  “Exactly. So when do you think we’ll come to the next river?”

  “I haven’t the foggiest. We’ll have to ask someone.” He took Harrison’s hand and shook it. “Good thinking, brother.”

  Harrison smiled. “Yes, it is rather clever, isn’t it? Should we tell Duncan?”

  Colin thought a moment. “I’m not sure he’d approve. Best we keep this to ourselves.” He snapped his fingers. “But we should make sure Jefferson is watching. If he sees you shoved in, that cinches it.”

  “How can we do that?”

  Colin’s face twisted with concentration. “I don’t suppose we could get Jack and Sam’s wagon to go ahead of Jefferson’s. He’s not likely to be watching out the back of his.”

  “True, but he’s always in front of our other wagons. I don’t see how that would work.”

  “Hmm, we’ll have to think about this. If he doesn’t see it, then it’s your word against Jack and Sam’s.”

  “Which is why we need to do this in the first place. One of us falling into the river could be chance, but two of us falling in …”

  “Very well,” Colin said. “We’ll try it. But if it doesn’t work, we’re going to have to think of some other way to prove our innocence.”

  “Our innocence?” Harrison quipped. “So far we’re only trying to prove yours.”

  Colin rolled his eyes. “It’s only a matter of time before we’ll have to defend yours and Duncan’s.”

  “Duncan’s already had to defend his.”

  “What?” Colin asked. “Where did you hear that?”

  “From the ‘town newspaper.’ I overheard Mrs. Fig tell Mrs. White that Mrs. Dunnigan accused Duncan of stealing from her.”

  “Balderdash,” Colin said. “Duncan would never do such a thing. And what were you doing listening to women gossiping?”

  “I happened to be nearby,” Harrison said with a shrug. “Can I help it if they were in earshot?”

  Colin laughed. “No, I suppose not.” They fetched the water, returned to camp, then went to see if the Wallers or Van Cleets needed them for anything. They tried to help the older couples when they had the time – it was the neighborly thing to do.

  Unfortunately, before they reached the Wallers’ wagon, they ran into Jack and Sam. “Well, well, if it ain’t the whelps,” Sam snarled.

  Colin and Harrison exchanged a quick look. “I suppose you could say wet help,” Colin quipped. “Except I’m dried off now.”

  Jack and Sam took one look at each other and laughed.

  “Maybe next time you’ll get me,” Harrison taunted.

  “Maybe we will,” Jack said. “I think ya’d look good as a drowned rat.”

  “One never knows,” Harrison said. “Maybe you’ll look better.”

  Jack and Sam stopped laughing. “Ya wouldn’t dare,” Sam spat.

  “You did,” Colin shot back coolly.

  “Ya deserved it,” Sam shoved past him, and Jack followed.

  Harrison and Colin let them go. As soon as they disappeared around Doc Waller’s wagon, Harrison turned to his brother. “Right, the bait is on the hook.”

  Colin put his hands on his hips. “You did that on purpose.”

  “Of course.”

  Colin laughed, shook his head and took his brother by the elbow. “Come on, let’s go see if anyone needs our help.”

  Harrison nodded and grinned. “Jolly good.” Together they headed for the Wallers’.

  A week passed since the river incident. Jefferson doled out his punishment, one Honoria discovered he’d already given Jack and Sam. No wonder she hadn’t seen much of them over the last month except at meals. Before they’d sulked nearby and avoided getting too close to her or her sons, but even before the river crossing she noticed they hovered less and less. Turned out Jefferson was making them gather wood for their neighbors and helping with anything they could come up with – something everyone else did because it was the right thing to do.

  Jack and Sam weren’t happy about it, but they did it. Now Jefferson was having Colin, Harrison and Duncan help them. It wasn’t much hardship for her three – they had been busy helping others the entire trip. They just had to do it with the Cooke boys instead of without them. The idea was that if the boys had to work together, they might learn to get along. She hoped it worked.

  Harrison entered the camp and dropped onto a stool near the fire. Honoria offered him a few slices of dried apple. “Here, darling, eat
this. You look hungry.”

  “I’m too tired to be hungry, Mother. If Jack and Sam did their part, then I wouldn’t be this worn out.”

  “Don’t tell me they’re not helping?”

  “I’m afraid they’re not. When Duncan’s around they actually pull their weight, but when it’s just Colin and I…”

  “Oh my darling, I’m sorry to hear that. Would you like me to speak to Jefferson?”

  “No, I don’t see how it will do any good. There’s a reason Jack and Sam think they can get away with shirking the work. I’m afraid it’s that Jefferson will do nothing.”

  Honoria straightened, bewilderment on her face. “Surely you don’t believe that?”

  He smiled lopsidedly. “What else can I believe? If they had any respect for their father, they’d do as he says.”

  “But they were helping out before,” she said. “When he told them to help the others over a month ago.”

  “So I heard, but we weren’t working with them at the time.”

  Honoria thought about that. At this point she had to admit Jack and Sam’s vices were glaring. They were lazy, they lied and didn’t care who knew. But the thing that bothered her the most was this revelation that they lacked respect for their father. Worse, there was little she could do about it.

  Or was there? “Dearest, where are Jack and Sam now?”

  He sighed. “They were watching Colin haul water for Mrs. Mulligan. Mr. Mulligan’s helping Mr. Turner with something so he was unable to do it for her.”

  Honoria’s back stiffened. This was ridiculous. She might not be their real mother, but by golly, she was going to say something. She rolled up her sleeves, stuck a spoon in Harrison’s hand and turned to leave. “Give the stew a stir every now and then, will you?”

  “Yes, of course, but … where are you going?”

  “I’m going to find Jack and Sam.”

  Harrison jumped to his feet. “Mother, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Mind the stew, Harrison. I have business to see to.”