Daughters of the Heart (33 page)

“I do.”

Finally, with the last promise made, May slipped out of her chair to see about the cake. She’d noted how Bonnie and Jasper kept eyeing each other, but earlier had put a bee in Rebecca’s and Rose’s ears to help her keep an eye on the twelve-year-old.

So obviously boy-sick, no telling what the young lady might get herself into if allowed.

Clay vouched for his nephew. Assured her Jasper was a keeper, but young folks those days didn’t have a lick of sense—not nearly as mature as she’d been at that age.

The baby kicked, reminding her she hadn’t rested all day. Oh well, she could relax once the newlyweds were off. In the meantime, she had a house full of guests to see to.

The gift tables overflowed. With hugs, kisses, and a basketful of thank-yous, and the newlyweds were off in the carriage with Chester driving and Charlie riding shotgun. The Black never looked better or pranced higher.

How had her husband arranged that?

All the way around, he’d outdone himself with all the short-notice preparations. The flowers alone cost him dearly, but then…what’s money for if you can’t lavish it on your babies?

The rig turned the corner, and her husband faced her.

“Thank you, May, it was wonderful.” A tear escaped his eye. Such a softhearted man, and she loved him for it!

“You’re welcome. What where you all huddled up with Levi and Wallace about?”

“Oh, I decided to send them to New Orleans along with our newlyweds.”

“Why?”

“Even Bull Glover isn’t stupid enough to try to steal my babies with those two guarding them.”

“So we’re babysitting Charley and all the little Baylors?”

“It’ll be fun, and I’ll be able to sleep at night.”

A bit of ruffly pink and white caught her eye disappearing around the corner, followed close after by Jasper Briggs. “You, sir, had best see to your other baby girl.” She nodded to her left.

He gave her a blank stare. “What?”

“Just now, Bonnie hurried around that corner with young Jasper Briggs right on her heels. Might want to take a little walk.”

He jumped off the porch. “Oh, Lord give me strength, and let my aim be true.”

THE END

Epilogue

Two days after the Briggs’ and Eversoles’ short stay in New Orleans and their safe departure on the S.S. Antelope headed south and west, Glover’s main house slave brought Bull a letter on a silver tray along with his afternoon whiskey.

He held it up. “Good. About time that boy sent word.”

Bull took a sip, tapped the letter to one end, then tore off the other.

Father,

That faro dealer you dug up ambushed me. Him and

       his Mexican bandit he’d hid out jumped me a day’s ride

       out of Fort Worth. Took half our coin and left me hog tied

       on that cursed Texas prairie. I’d left the other half behind

      with Sofia. Took me three days to walk back to town once I

       got loose. Wonder the idiot didn’t slit my throat, but the

       worst part is that my Sofa had departed by the time I

      returned, albeit two days later than I’d told her. No

       one seems to know exactly when she left or where she

       went. I hope she might be coming home and not met some

      dastardly fate. She just seemed to disappear.

     Sold my gold ring for a grub stake then walked to

Dallas after a teamster claimed someone who looked like

her might have hitched a ride with one of his competitors.

I’ll stay here until I hear from you. I’ve got a job at the

Cotton Club tending bar and would appreciate you

sending cash there for me. Until then, I’ve got my ear to

the ground on where she went. If she arrives there, please

send word post haste and ease my mind.

                                                          Braxton

Bull crumpled the letter then slammed down his drink. For the longest, he stared off until a calm settled over his soul.

“You’ve won this round, Henry Buckmeyer, but you’ll not win the fight.”

All of Caryl’s Books

Historical Christian Texas Romances

   Vow Unbroken                                   - 1832

    Hearts Stolen                                  - 1839-1844

    Hope Reborn                                  - 1850-1851

    Sins of the Mothers              - 1851-1853

Contemporary Christia
n
Red River & Apple Orchard Romances

 
 
The Preacher’s Faith                            Sing a New Song

  One and Done                            Lady Luck’s a Loser

Biblical fictio
n
,
The Generations

   
A Little Lower Than the Angels

   Then the Deluge Comes             

   Replenish the Earth

Mid-Grade
, River Bottom Ranch Stories

   The Adventures of Sergeant Socks

   The Journey Home                              The Bravest heart

      Amazing Graci, Guardian of the River Bottom Goats

Miscellaneous Novels

   The Thief of Dreams 
Warning
:
not for Christians
!

   The Price Paid                            Absolute Pi
(audio)

   Apple Orchard B&B
(now Lady Luck’s a Loser)

Non-fiction

  
 
Great Firehouse Cooks of Texas

   Antiquing in North Texas             

   Story & Style, The Craft of Writing Creative Fiction

The
Texas Romance

Titles :

Book #1 VOW UNBROKEN, 183
2

Book #2 HEARTS STOLEN, 1844

Book #3 HOPE REBORN, 1850

Book #4 SINS OF THE MOTHERS, 1851-52

Book #5 DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, 1853-54

Book #6 JUST KIN, 1861-65 (Debut January, 2016)  

Characters
…alphabetically

Reader beware! Spoiler warning! If you aren’t up to date on reading the series, you might find out info you’d rather wait to know, but the saga, continues…

~ Baylor, LEVI Bartholomew
– born November 2, 1817 orphaned at age five was reared by Aunt Sue Baylor until fourteen then Uncle Henry Buckmeyer, too, after he married Aunt Sue. Levi became husband to Rosaleen ‘Sassy’or ‘Rose’ Fogelsong Nightingale Baylor; step-father to Charley Nightingale and Bart Baylor (Comanche Chief Bold Eagle’s son); then Pa to Stephen Austin, Daniel Boone, Wallace Rusk, and Rachel Rose.

HIS TITLE
:
HEARTS STOLEN  // 
On Scene in
: VOW UNBROKEN, HOPE REBORN, and JUST KIN  // 
Mention in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, and in contemporary Red River Romance SING A NEW SONG

~ Baylor, Rosaleen ‘ROSE’ (SASSY) Summer Fogelsong Nightingale
– born August 24, 1823, married at fifteen in the fall of ‘38 to Charles Nightingale, then was stolen by the Comanche summer of ’39. She lived with them five years as the captive third wife of the chief. She birthed Nightingale’s son in February 1840, then they were rescued October of 1844, and she married Levi in mid-December of that same year. She birthed Stephen Austin in April, 1846, Daniel Boone in 49, and Wallace Rusk in ‘53. She finally birth a daughter, Rachel Rose.

HER TITLE
:
HEARTS STOLEN, // 
On Scene in
: HOPE REBORN, JUST KIN,   // 
Mention in
: VOW UNBROKEN, SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART,

~ Baylor, Bartholomew ‘BART’
– born July 20, 1845 to Rose and Levi, but blood son of Bold Eagle

On Scene in
: HOPE REBORN, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, JUST KIN,   // 
Mention in
: HEARTS STOLEN

~ Briggs, Clayton ‘CLAY’ Butterfield –
born October 13, 1827 to J.T. and Maud Briggs and courts and marries Gwendolyn Buckmeyer.

HIS TITLE
:
DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Briggs, Jake – born in 1812. Clay’s older brother is married to Clover and has son Jasper with her.

On Scene in:
DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Briggs, Jasper – born in 1837 to Jasper and Clover (or Clovey)

On Scene in:
DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, JUST KIN

~ Boyd, Francine ‘FRANCY’ – born October 28, 1842, a California orphan God sends to Jethro to take to Mary Rachel. She quickly becomes a part of the family.

On Scene in:
SINS OF THE MOTHER

~ Buckmeyer, BONNIE Claire –
born December 1840. Henry and Sue’s fourth child.

HER TITLE
:
DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART  // 
On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN, and JUST KIN  // 
Mention in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS

~ Buckmeyer, CECELIA Carol or ‘CeCe’ –
born April 10, 1836. Henry and Sue’s third child. Marries Elijah Eversole in 1854.

HER TITLE
:
DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART  // 
On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN, and JUST KIN  // 
Mention in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS

~ Buckmeyer, Charlotte born in 1854 to Henry and May

Coming in JUST KIN

~ Buckmeyer, David Crockett –
born 1851 firstborn of  Henry and May.

On Scene in
: DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, JUST KIN

~ Buckmeyer, GWENDOLYN Belle or ‘Gwen’ –
born Nov. 29 1834. Henry and Sue’s second child. Marries Clay Briggs in 1854.

HER TITLE
:
DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART  // 
On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN, and JUST KIN  // 
Mention in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS

~ Buckmeyer, Patrick HENRY
- born March 6, 1798; killed a man at fifteen, fought in the Battle of New Orleans at sixteen. At thirty-four, he married Susannah ‘Sue’ Baylor in 1832, and became stepfather to her Rebecca and father to Mary Rachel, Gwendolyn Belle, Cecelia Carol, and Bonnie Claire before becoming a widower in Dec ’44 at Houston’s birth. Finding love again, he married May Meriwether in 1850 and fathered Crockett and Charlotte.

HIS TITLE
:
VOW UNBROKEN, HOPE REBORN  //
On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN, SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, JUST KIN

~ Buckmeyer, Sam HOUSTON –
born December 1844. Henry and Sue’s fifth child, first son. His mother passed at his birth, so was motherless until he was six years old.

On Scene in
: HOPE REBORN, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, JUST KIN   // 
Mention in
: HEARTS STOLEN, SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Buckmeyer, Susannah ‘SUE’ Alicia Abbott Baylor
– born May 15, 1803, married Andrew Baylor at eighteen in 1821, widowed at nineteen and became guardian aunt to orphaned Levi Baylor, birthed Rebecca in the next year. At twenty-nine, she married Henry Buckmeyer in 1832. Mother to Mary Rachel, Gwendolyn, Cecelia, Bonnie Claire, and Samuel Houston.

HER TITLE
:
VOW UNBROKEN  // 
On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN  // 
Mention in
: HOPE REBORN, SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Eversole, ELIJAH
– born January 2, 1826, moved to California in the gold rush days where abandoned by parents as a teen, followed in his father’s blacksmith trade and loves inventing and building new helpful machines. He becomes partners with Risen and Jones in a gold mine. Marries Cecelia Buckmeyer in 1854.

HIS TITLE
:
DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART  // 
On Scene in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS

~ Jones, MOSES – born October 13, 1816, a Scot partnered with Jethro Risen in a gold mine, marries  . 1854.

On scene in:
SINS OF THE MOTHERS  // 
Mentioned in
: DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~
Langley, LAURA
is rescued at fifteen in 1844 along with Sassy. She was pregnant at the time and the next month delivered Lacey Rose on the way to the Buckmeyers’. She stays on there as teacher, and marries Jean Claude Rozier.

On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN, JUST KIN   // 
Mention in
: DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Langley, LACEY Rose
born November 16 , 1844 in
Nacogdoches to Laura, only fifteen when Lacey’s father, a Comanche brave,  had captured her.

HER TITLE:
JUST KIN
  //  On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, JUST KIN   

~ Meriwether, CHESTER
born a slave on October 7, 1803 to Commodore Meriwether’s slaves Silas and Honey Pie, He was 5, about to be 6, when May was born. He married JEWEL (formerly Mammy) in 1851.

~ Meriwether, JEWEL (formerly Mammy)
the Buckmeyers’ cook after Henry rescued her and her son Jean Paul Rozier who also works for the Buckmeyers.

On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART  // 
Mention in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS, JUST KIN

~ Meriwether, Millicent MAY
born August 23, 1808 to the Commodore and a, a  successful New York dime novelist who heads to Texas to interview after seeing a newspaper article about Rangers Levi Baylor and Wallace Rusk. She marries Henry Buckmeyer there. She gives birth to David Crockett in 1851.

HER TITLE
:
HOPE REBORN  // 
On Scene in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART, JUST KIN (January 2016)

~ Meriwether, Silas born a slave in 1808 on the Meriwethers’ Sea Side plantation 

~ Nightingale, CHARLES Nathaniel Senior
- born 1805, married Rosaleen Fogelsong, fathered Charles, Junior (Charley), though was never around him.

On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN  // 
Mention in
: VOW UNBROKEN

~ Nightingale, Charles ‘CHARLEY’ Nathaniel Junior -
born a Comanche son to the chief Feb 27 ’40 to the captive third wife of Bold Eagle, Rosaleen, but Charles Nightingale was his father. Rescued in 1844 by Texas Ranger Levi Baylor. Killed a man at ten when Comancheros came to return his mother to Bold Eagle.

HIS TITLE
:
JUST KIN (January 2016)  // 
On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN  // 
Mention in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Risen, JETHRO
– born September 22, 1830 to Silas and ??, partner of Moses Jones in a gold mine. Married Mary Rachel Buckmeyer Wheeler in 1853 and later that year, reconnected with his estranged father. Founds an orphanage and a bank in San Francisco.

HIS TITLE
:
SINS OF THE MOTHERS  // 
Mention in
: DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Risen, MARY RACHEL Buckmeyer Wheeler –
born August 3, 1833. Henry and Sue’s firstborn eloped with Caleb Wheeler without Daddy’s blessing and moved to San Francisco. Her husband soon murdered, she’s a widow mother of Susannah “SUSIE” Wheeler. Remarried Jethro Risen, adopted an orphan, Francine “FRANCY” and birthed baby girl Rebecca “BECCA” in MONTH, 1853 and Silas Reuel, Jethro’s firstborn son, in 1854.

HER TITLE
:
SINS OF THE MOTHERS  // 
On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Rusk, REBECCA Ruth Baylor
– born June 14, 1823; Sue’s daughter 1st husband Andrew (died Rebecca’s birth). Nine years old on the Jefferson Trace in 1832; twenty-one in November, 1844, when she met Wallace Rusk, married him at 27 in 1850. No children.

On Scene in
: VOW UNBROKEN, HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN  // 
Mention in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Rusk, WALLACE
– born August 15, 1819, a 16 year old orphan picked by Henry Buckmeyer and young Levi Baylor on the way to the Battle of San Jacinto, served with Levi Texas Rangering, fell in love with his sister Rebecca sight-unseen, and after wearing her down, married her in 1850. No children, but Lacey Rose Langley was named after him.

On Scene in
: HEARTS STOLEN, HOPE REBORN, JUST KIN  // 
Mention in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART

~ Wheeler, Caleb – born August 29, 1828, cousin to John and Lanelle, partners in the Mercantile in San Francisco after eloping with Mary Rachel Buckmeyer in 1851, father of Susannah.

On Scene in:
HOPE REBORN, SINS OF THE MOTHER 

~ Wheeler, John – born April 17, 1825, Lanelle’s brother, Caleb’s cousin, partner in San Francisco Mercantile.

On Scene in:
SINS OF THE MOTHER

~ Wheeler, Lanelle – born September 24, 1832, John’s sister, Caleb’s cousin, married Moses Jones in 1852

On Scene in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS,

~ Wheeler, Susannah “SUSIE
” – born October, 1851 in San Francisco to Mary Rachel (father Caleb deceased)  

On Scene in
: SINS OF THE MOTHERS  // 
Mention in
: DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART