by Montana West
Feeling slightly better, he made his way back to the sheriff’s office but found that it was still locked. It was late, and he guessed that the sheriff had already gone home. Since Martin lived almost ten miles from town, he would have to wait until very early in the morning before heading over there.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Oh, you poor dears.” Maggie was all cuddly when she heard what had happened to Mary and her siblings. “And with a kind heart too. The Lord will remember you for your kindness.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“These poor ones look so tired. I’ll have someone make up the larger room at the back for all of you. We’ll talk in the morning when you have rested. But I just want you to know that not everyone in Reunion is as terrible as that Daniel Silverstein fella. When I see him, I’ll give him a piece of my mind.”
“Dear Maggie.” Martin laughed. “You’ll do no such thing. Leave that man alone. If a person doesn’t see the treasure that’s before him, no need forcing him. He’s rejected this wonderful girl, but I know the Good Lord has someone else for her. You’ll see, and when I’m right, you’ll say that I am a prophet.”
“Oh, dear brother,” Maggie shook her head. “Why don’t you go on back home now? The little ones are safe, and you can begin your search to find out who the baby belongs to tomorrow.”
“Maggie, I’m very grateful to you for taking them in. That Daniel boy is a silly one.”
“Mark my words, brother, he’ll soon come running back for this girl, and on the day that he does, I’ll be waiting with a ladle and my fists. What he needs is a good box to his ears.”
Mary listened to brother and sister conversing and smiled in amusement. Hard to believe that just a few hours ago, they were so desperate and hopeless.
“Mary?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“I don’t want you to worry about anything, do you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Once my brother finds out who the child belongs to, you will then be free, and I’ll give you a job to do so that you can earn money and take care of your siblings. The job comes with a nice room at the back of this building, and there’s also a small side room that Patrick can use.”
“Ma’am, I don’t know what to say.”
“I’m just happy you landed in Reunion. Things always work out according to God’s plans for us when we have faith in him. It’s no mistake that you were at the train station when you were, and so got to save the life of this little girl.”
“We feel blessed to have found her. She’s so sweet. I just wish I knew her name. It’s rather awkward referring to her as ‘Baby’ all the time.”
“Someone is missing a child, and I doubt that she was abandoned. She looks too well taken care of to be a neglected child.”
“Baby is also very tired, and we didn’t get to feed her anything back at the station because she fell asleep immediately once I held her. I don’t know what to do if she wakes up in the night. She might cry for her mother.”
“Have no fear, I’m a light sleeper, and it’s just as well your room is at the back where no one can hear her even if she cries. I usually leave one gas lamp on, and what I’ll do is leave some oatmeal in the oven. We never let the fire die down completely, so should the wee little one wake up, she’ll have something to eat. Besides that, I’ll wake up and help you should the need arise.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Mary slept uneasily because she was worried about the baby who, amazingly, slept through the night without waking up even once. It was actually Mary who kept waking up to see if the child was still breathing. By the time the first cock crowed, Mary was so exhausted that she dozed off, only to be woken up in what seemed like just minutes later.
“Mary, you need to wake up,” Margaret’s voice was full of excitement. “You just won’t believe what happened. Mary, are you in there?”
“Yes, Missus Oakes, just a minute.” The other three children also woke up, and Mary used one of the soft cotton cloths to change the baby, who needed it. She opened the door to find the other woman pacing excitedly.
“You’ll never guess who’s in the restaurant right now,” she led the way. “Come along children, though it’s still early you must be hungry. Breakfast is ready for all of you.”
When Mary stepped into the restaurant, her eyes immediately went to a tall man who seemed quite agitated. When he caught sight of her carrying the baby, he hurried over. “Is this the child? Is this little Amanda?”
“This is the child that this lovely girl found abandoned at the station. She took her to my brother, who brought them all here.”
“How can I thank you, Miss?” Joram reached for the baby, who immediately went to him and cuddled close. “Look, she knows that I’m her uncle. Her name is Amanda; that’s what her mother told me.”
“Her mother? You mean this child has a mother?” Mary wondered at the woman who would abandon such a beautiful child. “Why did she abandon her at the station?”
Joram sighed. He didn’t understand why his heartbeat was erratic. It has started immediately when he set his eyes on the beautiful young woman who was carrying his niece. She looked so confident and comfortable holding the child that a thought immediately came into Joram’s mind that she would make a wonderful mother.
“Could we sit down briefly, so I can tell you what happened to Sarah, my sister?” Everyone except Maggie sat down. She busied herself setting the table, but her ear was attentive to what was being said. “My sister, Sarah, has been living in Linton, North Dakota, for almost five years now. She was married, and the last time I visited them or even communicated with them was three years ago. Just a few days ago, Sarah wrote and told me that her husband had died.”
“Oh no!” Maggie exclaimed. “Poor thing.”
“Mark was a rancher and was doing so well, but the past two winters were very harsh on his herd, wiping them nearly all out. He then decided to go to the mountains and prospect for gold. According to Sarah, he hoped to find some good gold and sell it, and then he would use the money to replace the animals he had lost.” Joram was silent for a while, holding his niece close. He had never held a baby this close, and he had to admit it made him yearn to have one of his own. “Mark went up to the mountains and was there for about one week. Sarah wasn’t overly worried because he’d been there twice before and always returned safely. Then his friends brought his body. He had fallen down a ravine as he tried to get into an awkwardly situated cave. He was dead within minutes.”
“That must have been very painful to bear,” Maggie said. “I can’t imagine what the poor girl must be going through.”
“Well, immediately after she buried her husband, my sister just went to pieces. She couldn’t cope with the farm and a small child, so she wrote and asked me if she could come here. I told her to come as quickly as she could so I could take care of her. In all her letters, Sarah never mentioned that she had a little baby. When I found her on the platform yesterday afternoon, she was unconscious. I just picked her up along with her carpetbag and took her to the hospital. She regained consciousness just a few hours ago and began asking about her daughter. That was when I found out that she had a child.”
No one spoke for a while.
“I ran to the sheriff’s office but found it locked, and then I eventually met him as I was leaving the hospital. Someone had told him about the woman who had been very sick at the railway station, and he was coming to find out how she was doing. When I told him about my missing niece, he told me not to worry and that the child was safe. I would have come last night, but the sheriff didn’t tell me where you were. It was just this morning that he came by the hospital and told me where to find the child. Thank you so much for saving her life.”
“We’re just grateful that Amanda is all right,” Mary said at last. “How is your sister doing?”
“She’s getting better but is very anxious to see her baby. I need to take her with me. You can come too
. I know Sarah will want to express her personal gratitude for your care in finding her baby.”
Mary shook her head. “Mrs. Oakes offered me a job here at the inn, so now that you’ve taken charge of Amanda, I’m free to continue.”
“Wait.” He restrained her when she turned to move away. “You say you’ll be working for Mrs. Oakes? Are you looking for a job?”
“Joram, do you already want to steal my employee before she even begins working for me?” Though Maggie had a stern look on her face, her tone was light and playful.
“Mrs. Oakes, you don’t need Miss Stewart as much as I do. I have a sick sister and a little child to take care of, as well as a ranch and crops. Mrs. Oakes, please.”
“Oh, all right then.” She waved a hand at him. “You don’t need to beg as if your life depends on it.”
“But it does, Mrs. Oakes. You know the challenges I’ve been facing on the ranch with wild animals and all. Having Miss Stewart there, and the children, will ensure that the ranch is never empty, and that should deter any unwanted visitors—human or otherwise.”
CHAPTER NINE
Joram insisted on taking Mary and the three children with him to the hospital. “Amanda’s mother is very anxious to see her, and I’d also like you to meet her. We’ll all be living together, and the sooner the introductions are made, the better.”
“Yes, sir.”
Joram smiled at the formality. “Miss Stewart, no need to call me sir. My name is Joram Kincaid as I mentioned earlier. Please just call me Joram. Everyone else does.”
“Thank you.” Mary felt shy all of a sudden, and she silently berated herself for behaving like a foolish love-struck female. For goodness’ sake, she’d only just met the man.
“You can say my name, and please also allow me to call you Mary.”
“That’s all right,” she said. She was holding Amanda, who was fidgeting uncomfortably. Maggie had told her it was because the child needed a bath and clean clothes. She tried to make her as warm as she could, given whatever she had and was grateful when Joram handed her a soft blanket.
“I found this in Sarah’s carpetbag. Had I looked into it yesterday immediately after I got to the station, I might have known about my niece sooner. But like Martin and Maggie like to say, everything happens for a good reason.” He smiled tenderly at her, and she felt herself blushing.
Joram had never met such a delightful young lady before and he felt his heart stirring up within him. Martin had told him how Daniel Silverstein had abandoned Mary at the station because of her siblings. “This is an opportunity, Joram.”
“Opportunity for what?”
Martin observed him for a while, before shaking his head and chuckling softly. “Never mind, if you’re as smart as I know you are, then you’ll eventually figure it out.”
Could Martin have been referring to their talk some days back, when he kept urging him to find a wife? As a rejected and abandoned woman, Mary must be going through emotional pain, and it wasn’t very nice of him to be thinking of her in a romantic way.
Sarah was awake and a nurse had helped her freshen up. Immediately, she saw her daughter and gave a small cry and held out her hands. “Amanda, baby, come to me,” she cried out. Amanda looked at her and turned her back on her. “Mandy, come to Mama.”
Mary couldn’t believe that the child was turning her back on her mother. She moved closer to the bed and tried to put Amanda in her mother’s arms, but the child screamed and clutched tighter onto Mary.
“What is happening?” Sarah asked tearfully. “Who are you, and why is my baby refusing to come to me?”
“Mrs. Collins,” the motherly nurse moved closer and stood on the other side of the bed. “You’ve been very ill, and believe it or not, your little girl was also affected. Right now, all she seeks is comfort from the nearest person who can offer it, but she will soon want you again.”
“Why is she rejecting me?” Sarah sobbed, covering her face with her hands. Joram motioned for Mary to take the child out of the room as he continued comforting his sister. “Have I been such a terrible mother?”
“Sarah, don’t say that,” he pulled her close. “Amanda is in good hands with Mary. She was the lady who rescued her yesterday from the station and took her to the sheriff. He then took them all to his sister’s place. Mandy is fine, just calm down.”
“It’s all my fault,” Sarah repeated. “I’ve been so sick that I’ve neglected my child. Now she’s turning her back on me to pay me back. What will I do?”
“Hey, you need to stop talking like that. The only thing that’s important right now is for you to get better and come back home. I need to take Mary and the children to the farm so they can rest. They had a long and tumultuous journey from New York.”
“What children?”
“Mary’s siblings, Patrick and Helen. They will take good care of Mandy, so you can also get better. As soon as the doctor says you’re well enough, I’ll have you discharged and then bring you home. But you’ve got to promise me that you’ll stop worrying and just get better.”
“Please take care of Mandy, and tell her I’m sorry for being a bad mother.”
***
Mary was happy to finally be home, even though she felt it might just be a temporary reprieve. But at least they had a roof over their heads, food to eat and most of all, no worries about creditors knocking at their door either. For the first time since her parents’ deaths, she slept through the night.
What she wasn’t aware of was that sometime during the night, Amanda had woken up and started whimpering, waking her uncle up. Joram entered the room and took the child from the bed on which she was sleeping with Mary so she wouldn’t wake her up. Joram had stood at the side of the bed staring down at the sleeping young woman and feeling compassion welling up within him.
Once he had brought them to the house, he’d made a simple dinner for them. He watched as the children devoured the food set before them, as if they had been too long without seeing such good food. Mary ate more slowly, but even she finished a whole plate of food and at his urging had some more. That the three of them had had a rough time in the recent past was quite evident, but he didn’t want to dig deeper unless she was ready to talk.
When Mary woke up, she felt completely refreshed and then alarmed when she realized that Amanda and Helen weren’t in the room with her. Then she heard the children’s voices and smiled. Little Amanda was a chatterbox and seemed to be holding her own.
She walked into the living room and stopped short. She had expected to find the three children on their own, so seeing Joram frolicking on the floor with them surprised her. He was on all fours with Mandy and Helen riding on his back, while Pat pretended to be leading him by an invisible harness.
“There’s Mary now.” Joram had a sparkle in his eyes as he gently lowered the children back to the floor and then slowly rose to his feet. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry that the children are so noisy especially early in the morning,” she glared at her siblings. “I’ll just get breakfast.” she turned to go to the kitchen.
“No need, Mary,” Pat piped out. “Mister Kincaid already gave us oatmeal and bread. Do you know that he makes his own butter? Come, I’ll show you where the churn is. Mister Kincaid said he will teach me how to churn butter.”
Mary gave a small laugh, “Pat, slow down. Don’t trouble Mister Kincaid.”
“Let the children be,” Joram said, handing Amanda over to Helen. “Come, there’s something I’d like to show you. Yesterday you were all too tired and I didn’t want to disturb you. But we need to talk about the terms of your employment. My sister will probably be coming home today. I’m very grateful that you agreed to help me out. I was quite at my wit’s end, and with winter coming down strongly on us, I have to see that the barn I’m building is completed in good time.”
***
When Sarah came home later that day, she found everyone waiting for her. It was obvious that she w
as really sad, and Mary forgot her own troubles for a moment.
“Mrs. Collins, your brother told me that you recently lost your husband. I’m really sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.” Sarah smiled sadly. “I’m so grateful that you took care of Mandy for me.” She looked down at the sleeping child in her arms. “I don’t know what I would have done had I lost her. She’s all I have.”
“You have your brother too, and he’s been very worried about you.”
“I almost forgot about Joram.” She sighed. “Now everything makes me feel very foolish.”
“Why?”
“Because I stopped communicating with Joram for three years. You see, at the time, I thought I knew what was good for him, so I kept telling him to find a woman and marry her. He would tell me that he was waiting for God’s time, but I still insisted.” She sighed. “When he wouldn’t do as I wanted, I stopped writing to him. He didn’t even know I had a child and when my husband died, I had nowhere else to go, so I was forced to write to him. I didn’t even think he would invite me to come over.”
“Your brother loves you very much. It’s evident in the way he’s been treating Mandy ever since he found her. You’re lucky you have someone to run to when you need him.”
Sarah looked at Mary, who was much younger than she was but looked like she had a big burden. “I’m sorry to be going on and on about myself. I haven’t even asked how you came to be at the station and found my daughter.”
“You see, my parents died about a month or so ago and then we lost everything.”
“My dear, I’m sorry for your loss. Don’t you have any other relatives?”
Mary shook her head. “We’ve never known about any other relatives, but my father had many friends—or so I thought. Once he died, people came out from all over, demanding that he owed them money. The bank took over our house and handed it to another of his friends.”