Dorothy Garlock - [Annie Lash 01] (19 page)

“Don’t fret. We’ll make her see the right of it.”

The steadiness of his voice calmed Rachel’s fears. When he pulled her to a stop in the shadows at the corner of the house, her arms went up around his neck and she clung to him.

“Fain . . . I got to ask. . . . You’re sure that . . . later on you won’t mind about Faith?”

“I’m sure, lass.” His eyes met hers and he spoke softly, but there was a firm sincerity in his voice. “I reckon there’s more to bein’ a pa than startin’ the babe. I took her for mine when I helped ya birth her.”

Tears glittered in Rachel’s eyes and she smiled through them. The smile trembled at the corners of her mouth. “Thank you.”

Fain found her trembling lips and kissed her. She responded and pressed body and lips to his. Her arms, tight around him, told him more than her simple word of thanks.

*    *    *

The cabin was dark, but outside, in the forest, the birds were beginning to proclaim daybreak. Berry woke and lay for a moment, listening, trying to understand why her mind refused to rest. And then suddenly it came back to her, that incredible news Rachel had whispered to her in the darkness after she had returned from walking out with Fain.
She and Fain were in love! He wanted to marry her. He wanted Berry, Rachel, and Faith to live with him, here in this cabin. It would be their home.

Berry was wildly happy for Rachel, although a small part of her felt a loss so acute that it was painful. She rolled over on her back and stretched her arms out wide on either side of her, as if to push away the guilt about the naggling shaft of jealousy that pierced her heart. She hadn’t dreamed that Rachel would meet a man and fall in love in such a short space of time. Rachel had assured Berry that Fain wanted her to stay with them, but of course that was impossible. Rachel was entitled to a home place of her own. She needn’t feel responsible for her; she was a grown woman now. She and Israel and the other Negro, if she could hire him, would go on and build a homestead out in the wilderness.

Biedy was delighted with the wedding plans. “Glory! Fain’s got more gumption than I gave him credit for,” she exclaimed gleefully as she prepared the morning mush. “Now, if’n we can do us a mite of arm twistin’, we jist might get Simon to do some askin’, ’n’ Berry’d be all settled too.”

“Biedy! No! Don’t you dare say . . . anything to him!” The words popped out of Berry’s mouth and astonishment froze the lines of her scarlet-red face. “I’m not a-marryin’ to find me a home place! Especially Simon Witcher!” She grabbed up the water bucket and fled the cabin. Rachel’s troubled eyes followed her.

“Wait up, Miss Berry.” Fish came around the corner of the house and she almost plowed into him. “I’ll fetch the water.”

“There’s no need. I can do it.”

“Do you mind if I walk along?” He fell in step without waiting for her answer. “Fain says he and Miss Rachel are going to be married.” Berry nodded without speaking. “He’s going to build a room onto the cabin. Plans to start right away, he said. It shouldn’t take over a couple of days with the Cornicks and Simon lending a hand.” They came to the narrow path leading to the spring. Fish took the bucket from her hand and stepped aside so she could precede him down the path. “You won’t have to be moving on, now. I’m glad, Miss Berry.”

“Fain is marrying Rachel, not the whole family,” she said tightly. “Of course I’ll be going on to my land.”

“But Fain said . . . he wants you to stay.”

“It’s kind of him, but I’ll make out fine.”

“I was hoping you’d stay.” She turned and looked into pleading eyes on a level with her own. He looked young, boyish, scarcely able to look after himself in this harsh land. “You can’t homestead alone, Miss Berry!”

“You don’t know that. I don’t even know that until I try,” she said crossly. “I’m going to have a try at it, Fish. Don’t you understand that I can’t expect Rachel and Fain to take care of me for the rest of my life. Besides that, I want to amount to something, have things, and I can’t do that living off someone else. And—ohhh . . . !” Her voice broke off in mid-sentence. They had reached the pool that formed beneath the spring and a man was bathing there. His naked back and buttocks were turned toward her. His wet, black hair glistened in the morning sun. Berry turned quickly and started back down the path. Simon! Simon had come back!

“I’ll bring the water, miss,” Fish called after her.

Berry scarcely heard him for the pounding of her heart. She couldn’t seem to move her feet fast enough to get away. Her only thought was to escape back to the house and the safety of Rachel and Biedy’s presence.

Simon’s wilderness-trained ears had heard the voices coming down the path toward the pool before he had glimpsed the slender body and dark hair. He turned quickly, presenting his back to her, knowing it was impossible to leave the pool. All his senses were focused on the woman who had been constantly in his mind. What is she thinking, he thought, when she looks at me with eyes the color of young willow leaves in the spring? Suddenly he felt a sickness in his stomach. A sickness he had felt once before. He’d stepped into quicksand and was sinking. He’d thought surely he would die. Only Fain’s quick thinking and strong arms had saved him. He was scared like that now. This woman could take his heart and more of his soul than a man was prepared to give. What had gone wrong with his life? He’d thought he’d planned it well. He’d take a woman when the time was right, when he was ready to settle down, when he’d seen all the country he wanted to see. He hadn’t planned on meeting a woman who would become his joy, the all-consuming factor in his life. His thoughts were an unwielding jumble in his mind.

The last five days had been long and full of tempestuous thoughts. He had forced himself to stay away from Fain’s homestead, forced himself to work on his own until he was so weary each evening that he slept as if drugged. Last night he had gotten out of bed at midnight and sat on the door stone looking out over the moonlit river. The loneliness of his life had seemed to press down on him.

At first light he had pulled his canoe up onto the riverbank below Fain’s place. His eyes had searched the landscape, a habit of almost a lifetime, before he had walked up the slope to the house.

Simon had finished bathing and was dressing when Fain walked down to the pool. “Mornin’. Fish said I had a critter in my pond.”

“Mornin’.” Simon put his hat on his wet head and picked up his rifle. “News travels fast. This place is getting plumb crowded.”

“You’ll have to watch yourself ’bout jumpin’ bareassed in my pond now that there’ll be womenfolk on the homestead.” Fain’s grin widened.

“Permanent?” Simon jerked his head around to ask the question.

“I’m takin’ a wife.” Fain narrowed his eyes as he watched his friend’s face.

“A wife?” Simon echoed.

“Rachel. I asked her last night. Silas can tie the knot when he comes for Biedy. It’s just as bindin’ as if that drunken magistrate from Saint Charles did it.”

“Isn’t this kinda sudden?”

“I reckon it is. But I been a-thinkin’ ’bout it for a time, but didn’t reckon I had a chance. She’s a woman that’s not had it easy, Simon. I reckon to change that.”

“I’m right pleased for you, Fain. I reckon she’ll make you a good wife.”

Fain looked pleased with the world. “I plan to add on a room. Ya got any plans for the next few days?”

“None that can’t be put off.” Simon smiled back at his friend. “I plan on using that muscle of yours one of these days.” He stuck out his hand.

Fain bellowed with laughter, grabbed Simon’s hand, and tried to jerk him off his feet. Simon was prepared and braced himself. It was a friendly tug of war the two men played every time they had a chance and ended when Fain gave in and dropped his hand.

“Not every man gets two women to do for him when he takes a wife.” Simon bent and retrieved his rifle.

The smile left Fain’s face. “Rachel’s worried some about the girl. She’s got it in her head to homestead.”

“Hasn’t she got over that notion? That’s the most hairbrained thing I ever heard of! Good Lord, Fain! What’s she thinkin’ she’s gonna do for a cabin? She can’t live in that wagon come winter. And . . . every no-good in the territory would be a-beatin’ a path to her door . . . and the Osage’d love to get their hands on a young white woman even if she does have black hair. Them green eyes of hers would be enough. She don’t have the brains of a flea if she thinks she’d last a month out there. She’s not going! That’s final! I’ll see to it.”

Fain clapped him on the shoulder. “You do that, Simon. You just go right ahead and do that.” He grinned at the sight of the stiff back stalking ahead of him up the path toward the house.

Simon’s eyes met Berry’s the instant he walked into the eating room. They stared at each other for a moment that was so still it seemed as if time had stopped moving. He looked at her searchingly and nodded in greeting, but he didn’t speak.

Fain came in behind him. “Morning!” His voice boomed happily and his twinkling eyes honed in on Rachel’s face. Her slightly flushed cheeks made her blue eyes seem all the brighter.

“Mornin’,” she murmured.

Fain went to her, put his arms around her, and kissed her on the lips. He was announcing to all that this was his woman. “Mornin’,” he whispered just to her. The intimate greeting was so sweet it made her blush.

“Well, Fain! If’n ya ain’t the beatin’est man. I do declare!” Biedy turned the meat in the spider skillet. “I swan to goodness if’n you ain’t got that girl to blushin’ somethin’ awful. Now, if’n it was me ya was a-kissin’, I’d just stand there bare-faced ’n’ let ya.” She cackled with laughter that turned to shrieks when Fain came toward her. “Ya behave yourself, Fain. I was a-funnin’! Mind me, now. I got this hot grease and I’m liable ta spill it. Word might get back to Silas. . . . Fain! Simon, make him behave.” She dodged a peck on the cheek.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Biedy. He’s bigger than I am.”

“Rachel . . . you goin’ to let your man go ’round kissin’ women? If’n ya do, they’ll be lined up from here to the river.”

“Then I won’t lack for company, will I?” There was light, happy laughter in Rachel’s voice. She stepped over to the fireplace oven and pulled out a pan of bread. Fain roared with laughter and patted her affectionately on the shoulder.

Simon shuffled his feet, his dark eyes watching the horseplay. “I’m right pleased that you and Fain will be wed. He don’t amount to much, but maybe you can make something out of him.”

Rachel glanced at him and was surprised to see his usually somber face creased with smiles. “I’ll surely try.”

Berry had never seen Rachel act so young and carefree. Her eyes followed her light steps from the hearth to the table, and she vowed silently that she would do nothing, say nothing, about not making her home here until after the wedding. But, law! It would be hard to leave here without Rachel. It had been just the two of them for so long.

The morning was spent making huckleberry pies and cleaning and picking the pinfeathers from a giant tom turkey Simon had brought to the kitchen an hour after breakfast. As they worked the women made plans for the wedding that would be held when Silas came to take Biedy home. They decided to decorate the room with honeysuckle and plum blossoms, and Rachel’s good dress would have to be washed and ironed. Biedy wished she could get word to Silas to bring their eldest son, Isaac, and his fiddle. There was a fair chance, she said, that he would do it knowing a birthing was always a cause for a celebration.

Rachel and Fain spent considerable time outside the cabin marking off where the new room would be built. They decided that the kitchen side of the cabin would be more suitable because the stone fireplace could also be used to heat the room. Impatient to start, Fain bellowed to Simon, Fish, and the two Negroes. They shouldered their axes and went into the dense woods to fell trees.

The emptiness that had lain heavy as a stone on Berry’s heart since she had first learned that Rachel would be staying here with Fain gradually lifted. It was wonderful to see Rachel happy and to know her dearest friend was loved and would be taken care of by a good man.

Biedy talked nonstop.

“Land sakes! But it’s goin’ to be a grand day for a weddin’. We’ll have to pick us a fine mess of dandelion greens. Pshaw! If’n I’d-a knowed, I’d-a brought mincemeat for a cake. I do love a weddin’, or a buryin’, or a cabin raisin’. It’s them times when standoffish folks ain’t so standoffish.” She paused for a breath. “Lordy, what I wouldn’t give for that crock o’ honey I got in the cellar. We could make us up some honeycakes.”

“Sounds like we’ll have food aplenty,” Rachel said when she got the chance.

“There’s them folk camped down by the runoff. Course, I’d just as soon they come off without that crazy ol’ woman what don’t know straight up about birthin’. It’d be plumb enjoyable ta have us a big bunch here for the weddin’.”

Berry’s eyes met Rachel’s across the room. They exchanged smiles. The smiling, gentle Rachel in no way resembled the pale, frightened woman who for years had lived with the terrible acceptance of a woman used and scorned.

“I got to slip off and see ’bout that baby what’s almost mine. My, my, my, she’s a little darlin’. Not at all colicky.” Biedy skipped out the door as light on her feet as a young girl.

Berry went to Rachel and put her arms around her. “I couldn’t be happier for you. You deserve this and much, much more.”

Tears spurted in Rachel’s eyes and she sucked her lips between her teeth to still her trembling. “I was afraid you’d be disappointed . . . that I was goin’ to stay here. He’s so good and gentle, Berry. He wants a home place with a woman in it to cook and clean . . . and have his . . . babes. He . . .”

Berry shook her gently. “You don’t have to tell me what
he
wants. Do you love him?”

“I don’t know love, except for you . . . and now Faith.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “It’s all new to me. I’ve lived for so long in . . . despair. I feel safe with him. I know he’ll not hurt me.”

“It’s enough,” Berry said gently. “I liked him right away. And after he helped with the birthin’, I knew he was a good man.”